Terminological Differences Regarding Subarachnoid Cisterns: Same Region Different Terms

Abstract

ObjectiveThis study aims to analyze variations in the nomenclature of cranial cisterns across the disciplines of anatomy, neurosurgery, radiology, and neurology, and to propose a standardized terminology informed by the observed differences in usage.Materials and methodsA comprehensive search for articles and books was conducted using terms such as subarachnoid cistern, cisterna subarachnoidea, and related keywords across Google Scholar, Google, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science. In total, 50 English-language sources were selected from an initial pool of 44,931 results. A total of 44,811 records were excluded due to clear irrelevance based on title and abstract screening, such as unrelated anatomical regions, non-human studies, and publications lacking cistern-related content, comprising 24 from anatomy, 16 from neurosurgery, 7 from radiology, and 3 from neurology. The names, definitions, and synonyms of cisterns were systematically analyzed in tabular format, and categorical data were evaluated using the Chi-square test.ResultsA total of 67 cistern names were collected, with references categorized into anatomy, clinical sciences, and subcategories of anatomy, neurosurgery, radiology, and neurology. Significant statistical differences were identified in the frequency of cistern term usage and in the application of synonymous terms.ConclusionCistern terminology exhibits distinct usage patterns across anatomy, neurosurgery, radiology, and neurology, both within and between these fields. Based on the results, strategies for the standardization of terminology are proposed, and specific terms are analyzed in the context of the collected data.