Cavum septum pellucidum

As a cavum septum pellucidum (also septum pellucidum cyst, Pseudoventrikel, fifth ventricle, Duncan ventricle, Sylvischer ventricle, Vieussens ' ventricle, Wenceslas ventricle and more ) refers to the cavity between the leaves of the septum pellucidum between the anterior horns of the lateral ventricles of the brain. If an extension dorsally present behind the foramen of Monro, one speaks of a vergae cavum, which is not is a different anatomical structure.

The cavum septi pellucidum is a normal anatomic structure in the development of the fetus, which usually regressed in adults and is obliterated. One finds the cavum septum pellucidum still in virtually all preterm infants, at 85 % of normal newborns and in 1-20 % even in adults. A cavum vergae shows up to 6 months also at 100 % of fetuses and in 30% of normal newborns. In adults, a frequency of less than 1% is indicated.

The cavity usually involves normal cerebrospinal fluid. Communication with other CSF spaces may, but need not be present. As an incidental finding in adults in computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging found the cavum is usually only a few millimeters in size. Even larger findings rarely make problems. In some cases there is a compression of the foramen of Monro with hydrocephalus. In these cases, a neurosurgical treatment for decompression is necessary.

Differential Diagnosis

• Cysts in the velum interpositum: cavum veli interpositi
• Ependymal cysts (more lateral)
• Parasite cysts
• Neoplastic cysts
• Missing septum pellucidum ( seen in sagittal slices from the same; distinction in coronal layers )

Swell

• D. H. Yock: Magnetic Resonance Imaging Of CNS Disease Mosby, St. Louis 2002, ISBN 0-323-01172-1
• A. J. Barkovich: Pediatric Neuroradioloy Amirsys, Salt Lake City 2007, ISBN 978-1-4160-4918-0
• Monica Epelman et al.: Differential diagnosis of intracranial cystic lesions at head U.S.: correlation with CT and MR imaging. In: Radio Graphics, 2006, 26:173-196, PMID 16418251
• A. Sencer et al.: Cerebrospinal fluid dynamics of the cava septum pellucidum and vergae in J. Neurosurg. 2001 PMID 11147881

• Brain