A computed tomography study of Pick's disease

In this research, computed tomography (CT) was used to study cerebral atrophy in 10 patients with clinically diagnosed front-temporal type of Pick's disease and in 13 healthy age-matched subjects as the control. The patients with Pick's disease were divided into three groups of Stage I, II and III, according to their clinical symptoms. Using the computerized planimetric method, which we had previously reported Subarachnoid Space Volume Index (SVI), Frontal Subarachnoid Space Volume Index (SfVI), Temporal Subarachnoid Space Volume Index (StVI), Parieto-Occipital Subarachnoid Space Volume Index (SpoVI), Ventricle Volume Index (VVI,), Anterior horn (VaVI), Inferior horn (ViVI) and Posterior horn (VpVI) of Lateral Ventricle Volume Index were calculated as the indices for cerebral cortical atrophy and lateral ventricular dilatation. In the Pick's disease group, there were significant correlations of SVI (r = 0.75 p<0.02), StVI (r = 0.89 p<0.001) and VpVI (r = 0.78 p<0.01) to the total duration of disease, while no correlation between each above-mentioned index and age on examination as well as age at onset was observed. The comparison of the mean values of each index at each clinical stage revealed that significant variances in all indices were observed with one way analysis of variances. SfVI in Stage I group showed a significant difference from one of the control at the level of 0.1 %, while VaVI and ViVI were not significantly different in any clinical stage. With a discriminant analysis using SVI and VVI differentiations of the control and Stage I group, of Stage I and Stage II groups, and of Stage II and III groups were possible at the error rates of 0%, 14.29%, 14.29%, respectively. (J.P.N.)