Is Bigger Always Bad ? Evaluating Effect of Sedation on MRI-Based Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter Measurements in Children

Authors

  • Omair Ashraf Shah Dept. of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Govt. Medical College Srinagar, India
  • Mudhabir Ashraf Dept. of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Govt. Medical College Srinagar, India
  • Akib Arfee Dept. of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Govt. Medical College Srinagar, India https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2027-0730 (unauthenticated)
  • Sumaira Maqbool Dept. of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Sher-i- Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Srinagar, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.59667/sjoranm.v27i1.22

Keywords:

Intracranial pressure, MRI, Sedation, Optic nerve sheath, Children

Abstract

Objectives: To assess the association between sedation status and optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) as measured by MRI in pediatric patients.

Materials and Methods: This retrospective observational study included brain MRI examinations of patients aged 0–18 years. Bilateral ONSD was measured on axial T2-weighted images 3 mm posterior to the globe. Results are summarized descriptively by sedation status, and inter-observer agreement is reported using the intraclass correlation coefficient.

Results: Among 78 pediatric patients, 38 underwent MRI with sedation and 40 without sedation. Mean ONSD was 4.8 ± 0.3 mm in the non-sedated group and 5.7 ± 0.4 mm in the sedated group. Inter-observer agreement was reported as an ICC of 0.93 (95% CI: 0.87–0.97).

Conclusion: Higher mean MRI-based ONSD was observed in the sedated group. Sedation status should be considered when interpreting ONSD in children. Prospective studies with appropriate control of confounding factors and independent ICP assessment are needed to determine whether sedation itself affects ONSD and its use as a surrogate for ICP.

Author Biographies

  • Omair Ashraf Shah, Dept. of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Govt. Medical College Srinagar, India

    Assistant Professor

  • Mudhabir Ashraf, Dept. of Anesthesia and Critical Care, Govt. Medical College Srinagar, India

    Senior Resident

  • Akib Arfee, Dept. of Radiodiagnosis and Imaging, Govt. Medical College Srinagar, India

    Senior Resident

  • Sumaira Maqbool, Dept. of Pediatrics and Neonatology, Sher-i- Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences Srinagar, India

    Senior Resident

References

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Published

2026-01-30

Data Availability Statement

The data that support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon reasonable request. The data contain potentially identifiable patient information and are therefore not publicly available in accordance with Institutional review board and data protection regulations.

Issue

Vol. 27 No. 1 (2026)

Section

Research Articles

License

Copyright (c) 2026 Omair Ashraf Shah, Mudhabir Ashraf, Akib Arfee, Sumaira Maqbool

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

This license requires that reusers give credit to the creator. It allows reusers to distribute, remix, adapt, and build upon the material in any medium or format, even for commercial purposes.

How to Cite

Shah, O. A., Ashraf, M., Arfee, A., & Maqbool, S. (2026). Is Bigger Always Bad ? Evaluating Effect of Sedation on MRI-Based Optic Nerve Sheath Diameter Measurements in Children. Swiss Journal of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, 27(1), 55-60. https://doi.org/10.59667/sjoranm.v27i1.22

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