Radiology, Vol 149, 709-715, Copyright © 1983 by Radiological Society of North America
Brainstem and related structures: normal CT anatomy using direct longitudinal scanning with metrizamide cisternography
DW Chakeres and A Kapila
A method for direct longitudinal imaging of the cisternal spaces
surrounding the brainstem and related structures by CT was developed for
use with metrizamide. Multiple 1.5-mm or 5-mm sections were obtained at a
70 degrees angle to the anthropologic baseline, allowing excellent
visualization of the brainstem, the cranial nerves, the parasellar
structures, and the cerebellum. Thin section, high resolution CT scans of a
formalin-fixed normal cadaver head were obtained, and the specimen was then
dissected in the same tomographic plane for correlation with normal
anatomy. The technique described produces a simple, highly accurate
evaluation of the normal and pathologic anatomy of the brainstem and
adjacent structures. The method of study allows for visualization of
structures and relationships previously unattainable by any other clinical
radiographic imaging technique.
