Mesh-based method for measuring intracranial volume in patients with craniosynostosis

Craniosynostosis may lead to reduced intracranial volume (ICV) and disturb normal brain growth and development. Thus, ICV is an important parameter with respect to the surgical outcome. Current methods for ICV determination from computed tomography (CT) images have drawbacks. The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of the novel mesh-based method (MBM) for ICV determination with craniosynostosis patients.Twenty-two patients operated on for scaphocephaly were included in this study. ICVs from preoperative, one-week postoperative, and one-year postoperative CT images were measured with MBM. The level of agreement with the manual segmentation method (MSM) was determined for the measurements of preoperative and one-year postoperative datasets. Repeatability was determined with re-measurements of six datasets. Measurement time was recorded for MBM.Mean $$(\pm \text{ SD})$$preoperative ICV values were 895.0 $$\pm $$153.1 $$\text{ cm}^{3}$$and 896.4 $$\pm $$147.2 $$\text{ cm}^{3}$$as measured with MBM and MSM, respectively. Corresponding one-year postoperative values were 1,238.3 $$\pm $$118.7 $$\text{ cm}^{3}$$and 1,250.1 $$\pm $$117.5 $$\text{ cm}^{3}$$. The MBM allowed ICV determination from one-week postoperative datasets. Measurement time with MBM was 4MBM is an efficient method for determining the ICV of craniosynostosis patients, allowing the measurement of skulls with bony defects. The repeatability and short measurement time of MBM are attributable to the user interference and assessment of the measurement process.