Abnormalities of the septum pellucidum on MR scans in first-episode schizophrenic patients.

PURPOSE AND METHODS Cavities in the septum pellucidum have been widely regarded in clinical neurology or in autopsy series as incidental findings of little clinical importance; however, an association between this developmental anomaly and a diagnosis of psychosis has been reported. We compared MR brain scans of schizophrenic patients with normal control subjects to determine the prevalence of this finding in the two groups: RESULTS A cavum septum pellucidum was found in 14 of 62 (23%) schizophrenic patients and only one of 46 control subjects (2%). Pronounced enlargement of the cavum septum and a cavum vergae were seen only in two schizophrenic subjects. A partial agenesis of the corpus callosum was also seen in one of the schizophrenic cases with the largest cavum septum pellucidum. CONCLUSIONS The increased prevalence of a cavum septum pellucidum, the cavum vergae, and partial callosal agenesis in schizophrenics support the hypothesis that anomalous development of the brain is an important aspect of this disorder. The disturbed structures are closely linked developmentally to the limbic system which has been implicated etiologically in studies of schizophrenia.

[1]  Tyrone D. Cannon,et al.  Fetal Neural Development and Adult Schizophrenia , 1991 .

[2]  E. Serafetinides,et al.  Schizophrenia, corpus callosum, and interhemispheric communication: A review , 1990, Psychiatry Research.

[3]  E. Walker,et al.  Prediction of adult-onset schizophrenia from childhood home movies of the patients. , 1990, The American journal of psychiatry.

[4]  N C Andreasen,et al.  Developmental abnormalities of the corpus callosum in schizophrenia. , 1990, Archives of neurology.

[5]  H. Kaiya,et al.  Midsagittal cortical pathomorphology of schizophrenia: A magnetic resonance imaging study , 1989, Psychiatry Research.

[6]  T. Crow,et al.  The spectrum of structural brain changes in schizophrenia: age of onset as a predictor of cognitive and clinical impairments and their cerebral correlates , 1989, Psychological Medicine.

[7]  M. Polaina,et al.  Cyst of the septum pellucidum and Korsakoff's psychosis. , 1989, European neurology.

[8]  R. Friede.  Developmental Neuropathology , 1989, Springer Berlin Heidelberg.

[9]  J. Endicott,et al.  [Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia (SADS)]. , 1987, Acta psychiatrica Belgica.

[10]  R. Mathew,et al.  A study of the septum pellucidum and corpus callosum in schizophrenia with MR imaging , 1985, Acta psychiatrica Scandinavica.

[11]  J. Simon.  Correlative Neuroanatomy of Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging , 1985 .

[12]  S. Lewis,et al.  Clinical correlates of septum pellucidum cavities: an unusual association with psychosis , 1985, Psychological Medicine.

[13]  V. Haughton,et al.  Cranial computed tomography: A comprehensive text , 1985 .

[14]  C. Mills,et al.  Correlative Neuroanatomy of Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance Imaging , 1984 .

[15]  W. Seifert.  Neurobiology of the hippocampus , 1983 .

[16]  E. Alexander,et al.  Distinctive CT appearance of cyst of the cavum septi pellucidi. , 1979, AJR. American journal of roentgenology.

[17]  B. Fish.  Neurobiologic antecedents of schizophrenia in children. Evidence for an inherited, congenital neurointegrative defect. , 1977, Archives of general psychiatry.

[18]  D. Harwood-Nash.  Congenital craniocerebral abnormalities and computed tomography. , 1977, Seminars in roentgenology.

[19]  I. Ciric,et al.  Neuroepithelial (colloid) cysts of the septum pellucidum. , 1975, Journal of neurosurgery.

[20]  C. Bruton,et al.  The aftermath of boxing , 1973, Psychological Medicine.

[21]  E. Alvord,et al.  CAVA SEPTI PELLUCIDI ET VERG Æ: THEIR NORMAL AND PATHOLOGICAL STATES , 1969 .

[22]  E. Alvord,et al.  Cava septi pellucidi et vergae: their normal and pathogical states. , 1969, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[23]  H. Stephan,et al.  The septum in the human brain , 1968, The Journal of comparative neurology.

[24]  P. Rakić,et al.  Development of the corpus callosum and cavum septi in man , 1968, The Journal of comparative neurology.

[25]  O. Catalano,et al.  Congenital anomalies , 2015, Histologic Basis of Ocular Disease in Animals.

[26]  L. Mervis,et al.  THE EPENDYMAL LINING OF THE CAVUM SEPTI PELLUCIDI: A HISTOLOGICAL AND HISTOCHEMICAL STUDY , 1964, Journal of neuropathology and experimental neurology.

[27]  J. Spillane.  Five Boxers , 1962, British medical journal.

[28]  H ZELLWEGER,et al.  The cavum veli interpositi and its differentiation from cavum vergae. , 1959, The American journal of roentgenology, radium therapy, and nuclear medicine.

[29]  August B. Hollingshead,et al.  Two Factor Index of Social Position , 1957 .

[30]  J. Kernohan,et al.  Caves and cysts of the septum pellucidum. , 1955, A.M.A. archives of neurology and psychiatry.

[31]  J. T. Schwidde.  Incidence of cavum septi pellucidi and cavum Vergae in 1,032 human brains. , 1952, A.M.A. archives of neurology and psychiatry.

[32]  O. Marburg.  SO-CALLED AGENESIA OF THE CORPUS CALLOSUM (CALLOSAL DEFECT): Anterior Cerebral Dysraphism , 1949 .

[33]  W. Dandy.  CONGENITAL CEREBRAL CYSTS OF THE CAVUM SEPTI PELLUCIDI (FIFTH VENTRICLE) AND CAVUM VERGAE (SIXTH VENTRICLE): DIAGNOSIS AND TREATMENT , 1931 .