Roentgenographic Measurement of the Skull Volume in Childhood

Abstract

A clinical evaluation of brain growth is usually based on the serial measurement of head circu mference.In 1956, Mac Kinnon et al.devised a formula of calculating skull volume in adults. However, the study of the roentgenographic measurement of the skull volume has been repor ted by only a few authors.In this study the rela tionship between head circumference and skull volume was made.
In 173 normocephalic subjects (101 males and 72 females) in the range from 28 days to 14 years of age, both head circumference and skull volume was measured.Normal head circumference was determined on children below 6 years of age by the statistical data of the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan and on children over 6 years of age by the Nelhaus Standard.
The formula of the skull volume: V=0.51 (1/2×I×L×H+1/2×I×L×B)cm³. (Mac Kinnon et al.).L=true A-P diameter, H=true distance from vertex to the midpoint of the external audi tory meatus, B=true distance from bregma to the deepest part of the posterior fossa and I=widest transverse distance biparietally or bitem porally.
A significant correlation of headd circumferen ce with skull volume was found (r=0.93).The regression equation was Y=66.1 X-1, 820.Ther efore the head circumference reflected intracra nial volume accurately.The developmental curve of the skull volume was almostin accord with that of the head circumference.The skull volume in males were slightly larger than in females.It was concluded that the head circumference is one of the best index of brain growth in normal child ren.