Turkish Neurosurgery 2021 , Vol 31 , Num 4
Statistical Shape Analyses of the Brainstem in Chiari Patients
Gokhan OCAKOGLU1,Mevlut Ozgur TASKAPILIOGLU2,Oguz ALTUNYUVA2,Selcuk YILMAZLAR2
1Uludag University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Biostatistics, Bursa, Turkey
2Uludag University Faculty of Medicine, Department of Neurosurgery, Bursa, Turkey
DOI : 10.5137/1019-5149.JTN.32785-20.3 AIM: To ascertain whether the brain stem?s shape differs in patients with syrinx and without syrinx in cases with Chiari malformation Type I (CM-1), relative to healthy controls.

MATERIAL and METHODS: Data on marked brainstem regions were obtained from 2D digital image files. Generalized Procrustes analysis was used to evaluate shape differences among patients with syrinx, patients without syrinx, and healthy controls. Shape deformations among groups were examined by Thin Plate Spline (TPS) analysis.

RESULTS: According to the brain stem shape, there were differences between patients with syrinx and controls, and between patients without syrinx and controls. High-level deformations were also observed among the groups.

CONCLUSION: In the present study, the presence of shape deformations in Chiari patients? brainstem was demonstrated. This is the first study using a landmark-based geometrical morphometric method to demonstrate the shape difference in Chiari patients? brainstem. Keywords : Chiari malformation Type I, Brainstem, Shape, Statistical shape analysis

Corresponding author : Gokhan OCAKOGLU, gocakoglu@gmail.com