Evaluation of interpeduncular angle values according to age and gender by magnetic resonance imaging

Authors : Nazire Kılıç Şafak, Hüseyin Erdem, Yusuf Kemal Arslan, Sibel Tepecik, Zekiye Karaca Bozdağ, Danış Aygün, Neslihan Boyan, Özkan Oğuz

Pages : 693-701

View : 25 | Download : 58

Publication Date : 2026-01-01

Article Type : Other Papers

Abstract :Aim: This study aimed to establish normative, age- and sex-stratified reference values for the interpeduncular angle (IPA), pontomesencephalic angle (PMA), and pontomedullary angle using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in a healthy adult population. Material and Methods: This retrospective study included 290 healthy adult patients (124 males, 166 females; mean age: 43.1 ± 16.7 years) who underwent brain MRI between January 2018 and December 2020. IPA, PMA, and pontomedullary angles were measured on standardized axial and mid-sagittal T1-weighted spin-echo MRI sequences. The classification was as follows: 18–24 years (young adults), 25–33 years (adults), 34–48 years (early middle-aged), 49–64 years (middle-aged), ≥65 years (elderly). Results: The mean IPA was 75.5° ± 10.2, PMA was 57.0° ± 10.2, and pontomedullary angle was 133.8° ± 10.6. No significant differences in any angular measurements were observed between male and female (p > 0.05). However, a significant increase in IPA values was observed with advancing age (p < 0.001), particularly in middle-aged and elderly groups. IPA showed a moderate positive correlation with age (r = 0.372; p < 0.001), while PMA and pontomedullary angle showed no significant correlation with age. No significant correlations were found among the three angular parameters. Conclusion: IPA values increase significantly with age, whereas PMA and pontomedullary angles remain relatively stable throughout adulthood. These findings provide normative, age- and sex-stratified reference data for brainstem angular measurements, which may enhance their utility in clinical diagnostics, especially in conditions such as spontaneous intracranial hypotension and neurodegenerative syndromes.
Keywords : interpedinküler açı, pontomesensefalik açı, pontomedüller açı, manyetik rezonans görüntüleme, beyin sapı morfolojisi, normatif veriler

ORIGINAL ARTICLE URL