Summary
CT studies of 50 patients with spontaneous subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) and 100 randomly selected patients were reviewed with regard to the size of the frontal and temporal horns of the lateral ventricles. The temporal horn was classified into four grades, based on the size of its posterior portion at the level of the midbrain. The horn was clearly visible in 66% of patients with SAH, but in only 2% of controls. In the SAH group, the temporal horn tended to dilate sooner than the frontal horn after haemorrhage and could be seen clearly in a larger proportion of patients. Thus, assessment of the size of the temporal horn appears to be a simple and sensitive method for assessing ventricular dilatation. In addition, dilatation of the temporal horn may prove to be an important indirect sign suggesting SAH in patients in whom no high density clot is seen on CT.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Hahn RJY, Rim K (1976) Frontal ventricular dimensions on normal computed tomography. AJR 126: 593–596
Vassilouthis J, Richardson AE (1979) Ventricular dilatation and communicating hydrocephalus following spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage. J Neurosurg 51: 341–351
Gihn J, Hijdra A, Wijdicks EFM (1985) Acute hydrocephalus after subarachnoid hemorrhage. J Neurosurg, 63: 355–362
Milhorat TH (1987) Acute hydrocephalus after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Neurosurgery 20: 15–20
Sjaastad O, Skalpe IO, Engeset A (1969) The width of the temoral horn in the differential diagnosis between pressure hydrocephalus and hydrocephalus ex vacuo. Neurology 19: 1087–1093
Heinz ER, Ward A, Drayer BP, Bubois PJ (1980) Distinction between obstructive and atrophic dilatation of ventricles in children. J Comput Assist Tomogr 4: 320–325
Naidich TP, Epstein F, Lin JP, Kricheff II Hochwald GM (1976) Evaluation of pediatric hydrocephalus by computed tomography. Radiology 119: 337–345
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hosoya, T., Yamaguchi, K., Adachi, M. et al. Dilatation of the temporal horn in subarachnoid haemorrhage. Neuroradiology 34, 207–209 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00596337
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00596337