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MRI-based classification of the anatomical variants of the hippocampal head

  • Diagnostic Neuroradiology
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Abstract

Purpose

The head of the hippocampus (H) is classically described as having two to four digitations both in ex vivo specimens and in vivo MR coronal images. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a new MR-based classification of the anatomical variants of the hippocampal head in a large sample population of healthy subjects.

Methods

MR images of the brain of 238 young healthy subjects (138 men and 100 women; age range 18–39) were analyzed. The head of the H was identified on coronal reformatted 3D T1 weighted MR images. The frequencies were reported for hemisphere and sex. Inter-rater reliability was assessed.

Results

Eight variants of the hippocampal head were described. Class 0 (11.4%) indicated a total absence of sulci. This class was further subdivided as follows: 0A (one digitation, 10.1%) and 0B (no digitations or “null variant”, 1.3%). Class 1 (25.6%) presented a single sulcus and was further subdivided into four types according to the location and the width of the sulcus [1A (8.8%), 1B (12.8%), 1C (1.3%), and 1D (2.7%)]. Class 2 (63.0%, the most frequent and the classical variant) had two symmetrical sulci and three digitations. Statistically significant differences between the two hemispheres were observed only in women and overall. Differences in prevalence between sexes were not observed.

Conclusions

The large study population allowed the description of a novel morphological classification of the different anatomical variants of normal H in the coronal plane. This classification could reduce the risk of misinterpreting normal anatomical variants as pathological.

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Abbreviations

H:

hippocampus

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Funding

No funding was received for this study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti, Chieti, Italy

    Eleonora Piccirilli, Luigia Gentile, Valerio Maruotti, Valentina Panara & Massimo Caulo

  2. Department of Neuroscience, Imaging and Clinical Science, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti, Chieti, Italy

    Eleonora Piccirilli, Valerio Maruotti & Massimo Caulo

  3. ITAB - Institute of Advanced Biomedical Technologies, University “G. d’Annunzio” of Chieti, Via Luigi Polacchi 11, 66100, Chieti, Italy

    Peter A. Mattei & Valentina Panara

  4. Villa Serena Hospital, Città S. Angelo (Pe), Italy

    Chiara Briganti

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  1. Eleonora Piccirilli
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  2. Luigia Gentile
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  3. Peter A. Mattei
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  4. Valerio Maruotti
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  7. Massimo Caulo
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Correspondence to Massimo Caulo.

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All procedures performed in studies involving human participants were in accordance with the ethical standards of the institutional research committee and with the 1964 Helsinki declaration and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

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Piccirilli, E., Gentile, L., Mattei, P.A. et al. MRI-based classification of the anatomical variants of the hippocampal head. Neuroradiology 62, 1105–1110 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-020-02430-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00234-020-02430-y

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