{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,18]],"date-time":"2026-03-18T10:17:39Z","timestamp":1773829059386,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":42,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"6","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,18]],"date-time":"2026-03-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773792000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"\u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["JCM"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background\/Objectives: Ventricular enlargement is a common finding on non-contrast computed tomography (CT) in acute neurological presentations, occurring in hydrocephalus, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. This study evaluated whether routinely available CT-based ventricular morphometric parameters can distinguish hydrocephalus from stroke and traumatic brain injury using initial imaging examinations. Methods: This retrospective observational study included 186 adults (68 with hydrocephalus, 64 with stroke, and 54 with TBI) who underwent index non-contrast cranial CT. Quantitative ventricular parameters included Evans index and third ventricle width, alongside temporal horn dilation and periventricular edema. Multivariable logistic regression models were developed to assess diagnostic performance. A primary morphometric model and a distortion-controlled model incorporating midline shift, mass lesions, and hemorrhage burden were analyzed. Discrimination was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. Results: Patients with hydrocephalus showed significantly greater ventricular enlargement, with higher Evans index and third ventricle width compared with stroke and traumatic brain injury groups. The primary model demonstrated moderate discrimination (AUC 0.71). After adjustment for intracranial distortion variables, model performance improved substantially (AUC 0.91), with balanced sensitivity and specificity at optimized thresholds. Evans index and third ventricle width were the strongest independent predictors. Conclusions: CT-derived ventricular morphometrics provide a practical and reproducible approach for differentiating hydrocephalus from stroke and traumatic brain injury on first-presentation CT, supporting objective interpretation in routine neuroimaging practice.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jcm15062306","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,18]],"date-time":"2026-03-18T07:35:08Z","timestamp":1773819308000},"page":"2306","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Comparative CT Ventricular Morphometrics in Hydrocephalus, Stroke, and Traumatic Brain Injury: A Distortion-Controlled Analysis"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"15","author":[{"given":"Andrada-Iasmina","family":"Ro\u015fu","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral School, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"},{"name":"Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5326-5438","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Laura Andreea","family":"Ghenciu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Functional Sciences, Discipline of Pathophysiology, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"},{"name":"Center for Translational Research and Systems Medicine, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Ovidiu Alin","family":"Ha\u0163egan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Discipline of Anatomy and Embriology, Medicine Faculty, Vasile Goldis Western University of Arad, Revolution Boulevard 94, 310025 Arad, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Luminioara Maria","family":"Ro\u015fu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy and Embriology, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-4620-3340","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Emil Robert","family":"Stoicescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Radiology and Medical Imaging, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"},{"name":"Research Center for Pharmaco-Toxicological Evaluations, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"},{"name":"Field of Applied Engineering Sciences, Specialization Statistical Methods and Techniques in Health and Clinical Research, Faculty of Mechanics, \u2018Politehnica\u2019 University Timisoara, Mihai Viteazul Boulevard No. 1, 300222 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2894-712X","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Roxana","family":"Stoicescu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy and Embriology, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5863-6613","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Emil-Radu","family":"Iacob","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Pediatric Surgery, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Sorin Lucian","family":"Bolintineanu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Anatomy and Embriology, \u201cVictor Babes\u201d University of Medicine and Pharmacy Timisoara, Eftimie Murgu Square No. 2, 300041 Timisoara, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"117702","DOI":"10.1016\/j.biopha.2024.117702","article-title":"Hydrocephalus: An Update on Latest Progress in Pathophysiological and Therapeutic Research","volume":"181","author":"Anwar","year":"2024","journal-title":"Biomed. 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