Caval variations in neurologically diseased patients

BACKGROUND The import of the cavum variation and its prevalence rate in healthy individuals is still not clear, likewise in neurologically diseased patients. PURPOSE To evaluate the frequency and pattern of caval variations in neurologically diseased patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS The presence or absence of the cavum septum pellucidum (CSP), cavum vergae (CV), or cavum velum interpositum (CVI) was reviewed from successive cranial computerized tomography (CT) images of patients who were aged 6 months and above. Two hundred and seventeen cranial CT images were reviewed. RESULTS At least a cavum variation was noted in 130 (59.9%) of the CT scan images reviewed. The CV, CVI, and CSP were noted in 86 (39.6%), 53 (24.4%), and 50 images (23%), respectively. Caval multiplicity was noted in 102 patients (47%). There was no significant difference in the rate of occurrence of cavum variations in patients with congenital brain diseases and acquired brain conditions (P = 0.484), neither was there a significant difference in the frequency of cavum variation in children aged older than 6 months compared to adults (P = 0.101). CONCLUSION Cava variations are relatively common in neurological brain diseases. Patients with congenital brain diseases did not have a higher frequency of cava variation when compared with those that had acquired lesions. The most common type of cavum variation noted in this study was the vergae variety, while the CSP is the rarest.