RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Physiologic Pineal Region, Choroid Plexus, and Dural Calcifications in the First Decade of Life
JF American Journal of Neuroradiology
JO Am. J. Neuroradiol.
FD American Society of Neuroradiology
SP 575
OP 580
DO 10.3174/ajnr.A4153
VO 36
IS 3
A1 M.T. Whitehead
A1 C. Oh
A1 A. Raju
A1 A.F. Choudhri
YR 2015
UL http://www.ajnr.org/content/36/3/575.abstract
AB BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Calcifications of the pineal, habenula, choroid plexus, and dura are often physiologic. In the modern CT era with thin-section images and multiplanar reformats, intracranial calcifications have become more conspicuous. We aimed to discover the CT prevalence of pineal region, choroid plexus, and dural calcifications in the first decade of life. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Five hundred head CTs from different patients (age range, 0–9 years) encountered during a consecutive 6-month period at a single academic children's hospital were reviewed retrospectively after excluding examinations with artifacts and pineal region masses/hemorrhage. All studies were performed on a 320-detector CT, with 0.5-mm collimation and a 512 × 512 matrix. Five-millimeter reformatted axial, sagittal, and coronal images were analyzed for location and extent of intracranial calcifications. RESULTS: The mean age was 3.5 ± 5.7 years (range, 0–9 years). There were 285 males (57%) and 215 females (43%). Pineal calcifications were present in 5% (n = 25; age range, 3.2–8.9 years; median, 7 years). Habenular calcifications were found in 10% (n = 50; age range, 2.8–8.8 years; median, 7 years). Twelve percent (n = 58) had choroid plexus calcifications, (age range, 0.1–8.8 years). Dural calcifications were rare, present in 1% (n = 6; age range, 2.9–8.7 years). CONCLUSIONS: Physiologic intracranial calcifications may be found in the first decade, principally in children older than 5 years. Most epithalamic calcifications are habenular. Pineal and habenular calcifications were never present in children younger than 3 and 2 years, respectively. Choroid plexus calcifications may be present in the very young. Dural calcifications are rare.