Histogram Analysis of Ventricular Enlargement on CT Images of Pediatric Hydrocephaly Patients

This study was performed to evaluate pediatric hydrocephaly patients with shunt failure. We objectively evaluated ventricular variations by head computed tomography (CT) analysis in which the histogram shape was compared between the normal and shunt failure states. To identify the characteristics of the histogram shape during ventricular enlargement in the presence of hydrocephaly, histograms in the normal state with favorable shunt function and ventricular enlargement were prepared for 6 hydrocephaly patients in whom visually apparent ventricular enlargement was noted on imaging, and alterations in the histogram shape with alterations in the ventricle size were investigated. When the ventricle enlarged, the convex or downward slope on the lower CT value side representing the ventricle rose on the histogram, while the convex on the higher CT value side representing the brain became smaller, suggesting that ventricular size changes can be judged objectively based on changes in the heights of the convex or downward slope on the lower value side and convex on the higher value side on histogram. The histogram shape in a state of ventricular enlargement was apparently different from that in the normal state. Histogram analysis of head CT images is useful for pediatric hydrocephaly patients.