Cerebrospinal fluid-intracranial volume ratio measurements in patients with HIV infection: CLASS image analysis technique

PURPOSE: To prospectively study the cerebrospinal fluid volume-total intracranial volume ratio (CSF/ICV) in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients at various stages of disease. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 258 volume measurements were obtained with use of a 1.5-T magnetic resonance (MR) imager and the cluster localized automated spherical segmentation technique (which reduces two-dimensional pixel data from dual spin-echo MR images to a one-dimensional histogram) in 69 control subjects and 189 HIV-infected patients. RESULTS: The CSF/ICV was statistically significantly increased in patients with late-stage (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention group IV) acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) (0.16 +/- 0.05 [standard deviation]) compared with seronegative control subjects (0.12 +/- 0.03) and patients without symptoms (0.13 +/- 0.03). CONCLUSION: No substantial change in CSF/ICV occurs until development of late-stage AIDS.