Cavum septum pellucidum
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At the time the article was created Behrang Amini had no recorded disclosures.
View Behrang Amini's current disclosuresAt the time the article was last revised Yaïr Glick had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.
View Yaïr Glick's current disclosures- Cavum septum pellucidum (CSP)
- Cavum septum pellucidi
- Fifth ventricle
- Cavum septi pellucidi
- Cavo septum pellucidum
Cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) is a normal variant CSF space between the leaflets of the septum pellucidum.
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Terminology
While the term "cavum septum pellucidum" is generally accepted, it is grammatically incorrect. Since it denotes a space (cavum meaning cave) of the septum pellucidum, the second part (septum pellucidum) should be in the genitive noun case, which would be inflected as cavum septi pellucidi.
It has been posited that rendering it as "cavo septum pellucidum", would also be correct, which means "septum pellucidum with a cave". However this form has never been used.
Historically it has also been called the fifth ventricle, but this use is now advised against as the cavum does not usually have any direct communication with the ventricular system.
Epidemiology
A cavum septum pellucidum is present in the normal fetus, but over 85% of them fuse by 3-6 months of age meaning that a cavum septum pellucidum persists in ~15% of the adult population.
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Gross anatomy
The cavum septum pellucidum commonly occurs with, and is often confused with, the cavum vergae, which is situated posterior to the anterior columns of the fornix. During development, these spaces obliterate posteroanteriorly - the cavum vergae followed by the cavum septum pellucidum - and it is not uncommon that both occur together as one contiguous space (see cases 3 and 4), aptly termed "cavum septum pellucidum (or septi pellucidi) et vergae".
Boundaries
anterior: genu of the corpus callosum
superior: body of the corpus callosum
posterior: anterior limb and pillars of the fornix
inferior: anterior commissure and the rostrum of the corpus callosum
lateral: leaflets of the septum pellucidum 1
History and etymology
Cavum septum pellucidum is a Latin term deriving from 'cavum', meaning 'space', 'septum', meaning 'fence', and therefore a dividing structure, and 'pellucidus' meaning 'transparent'.
Related pathology
It has been loosely associated with 3-5:
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
chronic traumatic encephalopathy, e.g. in boxers
However, an absent cavum septum pellucidum in antenatal imaging is a concerning feature and is associated with significant CNS anomalies 6.
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Differential diagnosis
Quiz questions
References
- 1. Born C, Meisenzahl E, Frodl T et al. The Septum Pellucidum and Its Variants. An MRI Study. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2004;254(5):295-302. doi:10.1007/s00406-004-0496-z - Pubmed
- 2. Farruggia S & Babcock D. The Cavum Septi Pellucidi: Its Appearance and Incidence with Cranial Ultrasonography in Infancy. Radiology. 1981;139(1):147-50. doi:10.1148/radiology.139.1.7208915 - Pubmed
- 3. Galarza M, Merlo A, Ingratta A, Albanese E, Albanese A. Cavum Septum Pellucidum and Its Increased Prevalence in Schizophrenia: A Neuroembryological Classification. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2004;16(1):41-6. doi:10.1176/jnp.16.1.41 - Pubmed
- 4. May F, Chen Q, Gilbertson M, Shenton M, Pitman R. Cavum Septum Pellucidum in Monozygotic Twins Discordant for Combat Exposure: Relationship to Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Biol Psychiatry. 2004;55(6):656-8. doi:10.1016/j.biopsych.2003.09.018 - Pubmed
- 5. Zhang L, Ravdin L, Relkin N et al. Increased Diffusion in the Brain of Professional Boxers: A Preclinical Sign of Traumatic Brain Injury? AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2003;24(1):52-7. PMC8148951 - Pubmed
- 6. Winter T, Kennedy A, Byrne J, Woodward P. The Cavum Septi Pellucidi: Why is It Important? J Ultrasound Med. 2010;29(3):427-44. doi:10.7863/jum.2010.29.3.427 - Pubmed
Incoming Links
- Head ultrasound
- Alobar holoprosencephaly
- Absent septum pellucidum
- Ventricle (disambiguation)
- Transcranial Doppler sonography (ultrasound)
- Cavum vergae cyst
- Nuchal fold
- Ommaya reservoir
- Intraventricular masses (an approach)
- Intracranial cystic lesions in the perinatal period
- Megalencephaly-capillary malformation syndrome
- Dysgenesis of the corpus callosum
- Cavum veli interpositi
- Intraventricular simple cysts
- Fifth ventricle (disambiguation)
- 22q11.2 deletion syndrome
- Cavum vergae
- Interhemispheric cyst
- Second trimester ultrasound scan
- Colloid cyst of the third ventricle
- Agenesis of the corpus callosum
- Grade 1 germinal matrix haemorrhage
- Secondary abdominal pregnancy after uterine expulsion
- Pituitary macroadenoma
- Subarachnoid FLAIR vascular hyperintensities
- Proliferating trichilemmal cysts
- Joubert syndrome
- Normal myelination at 3 months old
- Cavum septum pellucidum and vergae
- Joubert syndrome
- Cavum septum pellucidum and cavum vergae
- Arnold Chiari malformation type II
- Cavum septum pellucidum and cavum vergae
- Vase appearance of cavum septum pellucidum and cavum vergae
- Pericallosal lipoma
- Absence of the sagittal suture - normal skull configuration
- Megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts
- Cavum septum pellucidum et vergae
- Internal porencephaly
- Septo-optic dysplasia (fetal MRI)
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