Search Results (12)

The pathophysiologic substrate of pediatric hydrocephalus has not been thoroughly elucidated. Valve-based shunt systems have constituted the main therapeutic option since the late 1950s. The initially used systems were concerning the ventricular system and the atrium. In the 1970s, VA shunts were not the main stay of treatment as the preferred option for the terminal end of the drainage system was the peritoneum. Our review analyzes these valve types and attempts a comparison, based on their functional characteristics. Nowadays, the only available surgical alternative for the treatment of hydrocephalus is ETV. This technique is associated with lower infection rates as well as, on average, a lower re-operation rate. Another term that deserves special mention is related to the outcome of ETV in children who had a medical history of previously incorporated shunts and who were subsequently suffering from shunt malfunction. Well-recognized predictive factors associated with secondary ETV failure include age, early onset of hydrocephalus, and prematurity. Although several attempts have been made in order to establish the optimum surgical treatment management in the different subgroups of patientswho are suffering from shunt dysfunction, there is no universal agreement. Therefore, this review attempts to identify the specific subpopulations of patients in whom the insertion of a drainage system as the preferred treatment modality is associated with an optimum long-term prognosis, compared to ETV, and vice versa. The objective of our study is to analyze the safety, efficacy, and outcomes of drainage devices and ETV in pediatric hydrocephalus patients. Full article

This study reports two cases of Global Rostral Midbrain Syndrome (GRMS) and corpus callosum infarction in the context of shunt overdrainage caused by obstructive hydrocephalus due to aqueductal stenosis. We detail how thorough clinical evaluation and appropriate investigation helped avoid a coma misdiagnosis and describe the excellent response to pharmacological treatment and successful neurorehabilitation in both cases. We analyze the cognitive profile of patients with GRMS, a rare condition that mimics disorders such as coma and progressive supranuclear palsy at various stages. In conscious cases, GRMS typically presents with parkinsonian syndrome, Parinaud syndrome, and cognitive issues. The awareness of this rare complication of shunt overdrainage facilitates more accurate diagnosis and better management. Full article

Two patients with CSF shunting systems exhibited symptoms of altered intracranial pressure. Initial neuroimaging led to misinterpretation, but integrating clinical history and follow-up imaging revealed the true diagnosis. In the first case, reduced ventricular size was mistaken for CSF overdrainage, while the actual problem was increased intracranial pressure, as seen in slit ventricle syndrome. In the second case, symptoms attributed to intracranial hypertension were due to CSF overdrainage causing tonsillar displacement and hydrocephalus. Adjusting the spinoperitoneal shunt pressure resolved symptoms and imaging abnormalities. These cases highlight the necessity of correlating clinical presentation with a deep understanding of CSF dynamics in shunt assessments. Full article

The main subject of the current review is a specific subtype of headache, which is related to shunt over-drainage and slit ventricle syndrome, in pediatric patients harboring an implanted shunt device for the management of hydrocephalus. This clinical entity, along with its impairment regarding the quality of life of the affected individuals, is generally underestimated. This is partly due to the absence of universally agreed-upon diagnostic criteria, as well as due to a misunderstanding of the interactions among the implicated pathophysiological mechanisms. A lot of attempts have been performed to propose an integrative model, aiming at the determination of all the offending mechanisms of the shunt over-drainage syndrome, as well as the determination of all the clinical characteristics and related symptomatology that accompany these secondary headaches. This subcategory of headache, named postural dependent headache, can be associated with nausea, vomiting, and/or radiological signs of slim ventricles and/or subdural collections. The ultimate goal of our review is to draw clinicians’ attention, especially that of those that are managing pediatric patients with permanent, long-standing, ventriculoperitoneal, or, less commonly, ventriculoatrial shunts. We attempted to elucidate all clinical and neurological characteristics that are inherently related to this type of headache, as well as to highlight the current management options. This specific subgroup of patients may eventually suffer from severe, intractable headaches, which may negatively impair their quality of daily living. In the absence of any other clinical condition that could be incriminated as the cause of the headache, shunt over-drainage should not be overlooked. On the contrary, it should be seriously taken into consideration, and its management should be added to the therapeutic armamentarium of such cases, which are difficult to be handled. Full article

Shunt over-drainage in patients harboring a ventriculoperitoneal shunt constitutes one of the most devastating, and difficult to manage, side effects associated with this operation. Siphoning is one of the most important contributing factors that predispose to this complication. Based on the fact that the predisposing pathophysiologic mechanism is considerably multiplicated, amelioration of that adverse condition is considerably difficult to achieve. A lot of evidence suggests that the widespread utilization of gravitational valves or antisiphon devices is of utmost importance, in order to minimize or even avoid the occurrence of such complications. The recent literature data highlight that gravity-related, long-lasting shunt over-drainage consists of a momentous factor that could be considered one of the main culprits of central shunt failure. A lot of efforts have been performed, in order to design effective means that are aimed at annihilating siphoning. Our tenet was the investigation of the usefulness of the incorporation of an extra apparatus in the shunt system, capable of eliminating the impact of the siphoning effect, based on the experience that was gained by their long-term use in our institution. A retrospective analysis was performed, based on the data that were derived from our institution’s database, centered on patients to which an ASD was incorporated into their initial shunt device between 2006 and 2021. A combination of clinical, surgical, radiological findings, along with the relevant demographic characteristics of the patients were collected and analyzed. We attempted to compare the rates of shunt dysfunction, attributed to occlusion of the ventricular catheter, in a group of patients, before and after the incorporation of an anti-siphon device to all of them. A total number of 120 patients who have already been shunted due to hydrocephalus of different etiologies, were managed with the insertion of an ASD. These devices were inserted at different anatomical locations, which were located peripherally to the initially inserted valvular mechanism. The data that were collected from a subpopulation of 17 of these patients were subjected to a separate statistical analysis because they underwent a disproportionately large number of operations (i.e., >10-lifetime shunt revisions). These patients were studied separately as their medical records were complicated. The analysis of our records revealed that the secondary implementation of an ASD resulted in a decrease of the 1-year and 5-year central catheter dysfunction rates in all of our patients when compared with the relevant obstruction rates at the same time points prior to ASD insertion. According to our data, and in concordance with a lot of current literature reports, an ASD may offer a significant reduction in the obstruction rates that is related to the ventricular catheter of the shunt. These data could only be considered preliminary and need to be confirmed with prospective studies. Nevertheless, this study could be considered capable of providing supportive evidence that chronic shunt over-drainage is a crucial factor in the pathophysiology of shunt malfunction. Apart from that, it could provide pilot data that could be reviewed in order to organize further clinical and laboratory studies, aiming toward the assessment of optimal shunt valve systems that, along with ASD, resist siphoning. Full article

Fourteen months after the implantation of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt catheter, a six-year-old boy developed recurrent, severe headaches and vomiting every three weeks. The attacks were of such severity that hospitalizations for analgesic and antiemetic therapies and intravenous rehydration and electrolyte substitution were repeatedly required. The patient was asymptomatic between the attacks. After an extensive diagnostic workup—including repeated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and neurosurgical examinations—common differential diagnoses, including shunt overdrainage, were ruled out. The patient was transferred to a specialized pediatric pain clinic with suspected cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS). Despite intensive and in part experimental prophylactic and abortive pharmacological treatment, there was no improvement in his symptoms. Consecutive MRI studies reinvestigating the initially excluded shunt overdrainage indicated an overdrainage syndrome. Subsequently, the symptoms disappeared after disconnecting the shunt catheter. This case report shows that even if a patient meets CVS case definitions, other differential diagnoses must be carefully reconsidered to avoid fixation error. Full article

(1) Background: pediatric hydrocephalus is a challenging condition. Programmable shunt valves (PSV) have been increasingly used. This study is undertaken to firstly, to objectively evaluate the efficacy of PSV as a treatment modality for pediatric hydrocephalus; and next, review its associated patient outcomes at our institution. Secondary objectives include the assessment of our indications for PSV, and corroboration of our results with published literature. (2) Methods: this is an ethics-approved, retrospective study. Variables of interest include age, gender, hydrocephalus etiology, shunt failure rates and incidence of adjustments made per PSV. Data including shunt failure, implant survival, and utility comparisons between PSV types are subjected to statistical analyses. (3) Results: in this case, 51 patients with PSV are identified for this study, with 32 index and 19 revision shunts. There are 3 cases of shunt failure (6%). The mean number of adjustments per PSV is 1.82 times and the mean number of adjustments made per PSV is significantly lower for MEDTRONIC™ Strata PSVs compared with others (p = 0.031). Next, PSV patients that are adjusted more frequently include cases of shunt revisions, PSVs inserted due to CSF over-drainage and tumor-related hydrocephalus. (4) Conclusion: we describe our institutional experience of PSV use in pediatric hydrocephalus and its advantages in a subset of patients whose opening pressures are uncertain and evolving. Full article

Although shunt overdrainage is a well-known complication in hydrocephalus management, the problem has been underestimated. Current literature suggests that the topic requires more examination. An insight into this condition is limited by a lack of universally agreed-upon diagnostic criteria, heterogeneity of published series, the multitude of different management options and misunderstanding of relationships among pathophysiological mechanisms involved. We carried out a review of the literature on clinical, radiological, intracranial pressure (ICP), pathophysiological and treatment concepts to finally propose an integrative model. Active prophylaxis and management are proposed according to this model based on determination of pathophysiological mechanisms and predisposing factors behind each individual case. As pathophysiology is progressively multifactorial, prevention of siphoning with gravitational valves or antisiphon devices is mandatory to avoid or minimize further complications. Shunt optimization or transferal and neuroendoscopy may be recommended when ventricular collapse and cerebrospinal fluid isolation appear. Cranial expansion may be useful in congenital or acquired craniocerebral disproportion and shunting the subarachnoid space in communicating venous hydrocephalus and idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Full article

The prevalence of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), a complex disorder, is increasing globally in association with obesity. The IIH syndrome occurs as the result of elevated intracranial pressure, which can cause permanent visual impairment and loss if not adequately managed. CSF diversion via ventriculoperitoneal and lumboperitoneal shunts is a well-established strategy to protect vision in medically refractory cases. Success of CSF diversion is compromised by high rates of complication; including over-drainage, obstruction, and infection. This review outlines currently used techniques and technologies in the management of IIH. Neurosurgical CSF diversion is a vital component of the multidisciplinary management of IIH. Full article

Most patients with hydrocephalus are still managed with the implantation of a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt in which the CSF flow is regulated by a differential-pressure valve (DPV). Our aim in this review is to discuss some basic concepts in fluid mechanics that are frequently ignored but that should be understood by neurosurgeons to enable them to choose the most adequate shunt for each patient. We will present data, some of which is not provided by manufacturers, which may help neurosurgeons in selecting the most appropriate shunt. To do so, we focused on the management of patients with idiopathic “normal-pressure hydrocephalus” (iNPH), as one of the most challenging scenarios, in which the combination of optimal technology, patient characteristics, and knowledge of fluid mechanics can significantly modify the surgical results. For a better understanding of the available hardware and its evolution over time, we will have a second look at the design of the first DPV and the reasons why additional devices were incorporated to control for shunt overdrainage and its related complications. We try to persuade the reader that a clear understanding of the physical concepts of the CSF and shunt dynamics is key to understand the pathophysiology of iNPH and to improve its treatment. Full article

In the past decade, there has been a clear trend towards better outcomes in patients with hydrocephalus, especially those with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). This is partly due to the availability of more sophisticated hardware and a better understanding of implants. However, there is little evidence to show the superiority of a specific type of valve over another. The most commonly reported consequence of hydrodynamic mismatch is shunt over-drainage. Simple differential pressure valves, with a fixed opening pressure or even adjustable valves, lead to non-physiologic intraventricular pressure (IVP) as soon as the patient moves into an upright posture. These valves fail to maintain IVP within physiological limits due to the changes in hydrostatic pressure in the drainage system. To solve this problem more complex third-generation hydrostatic valves have been designed. These gravitational devices aim to reduce flow through a shunt system when the patient is upright but there are important technical differences between them. Here we review the main characteristics of the Miethke^® Dual-Switch valve, which includes two valve chambers arranged in parallel: a low-opening pressure valve, designed for working in the supine position, and a second high-opening pressure valve, which starts working when the patient assumes the upright position. This paper specifies the main advantages and drawbacks of this device and provide a series of recommendations for its use. The discussion of this specific gravitational valve allows us to emphasize the importance of using gravitational control in implanted shunts and some the caveats neurosurgeons should take into consideration when using gravitational devices in patients with hydrocephalus. The correct function of any gravitational device depends on adequate device implantation along the vertical body axis. Misalignment from the vertical axis equal to or more than 45° might eliminate the beneficial effect of these devices. Full article

Background and objectives: Hydrocephalus remains a disease requiring surgical treatment even in the modern era. Ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt placement is the most common treatment, whereas lumboperitoneal (LP) shunts are less commonly used due to initial reports of very high rates of complications. In the present study, we retrospectively reviewed our experience of the new two-stage procedure with LP shunt implantation to assess the complications and the results of this procedure versus VP shunt insertion. Materials and Methods: All patients from a single center who had received LP shunts using a Medtronic Strata device or VP shunts in the past six-year interval were retrospectively reviewed. The LP shunt insertion was a new two-stage procedure. We compared the three major complications and shunt revisions between the two groups, including shunt malfunction, infection, and subdural hematoma. Results: After matching the age and sex of both groups, we included 96 surgery numbers of LP shunts and 192 surgery numbers of VP shunts for comparison. In the LP shunt group, one patient (1.0%) underwent revision of the shunt due to shunt infection. In the VP shunt group, 26 surgeries (13.5%) needed revision, and 11 surgeries (5.7%) had shunt infection. Shunt malfunction occurred in 14 patients (7.3%) and all needed revisions. The revision rate showed statistically significant differences between the LP and VP shunt groups (p < 0.001). Conclusions: The recent improvements in the quality of the LP shunt device and the proficiency of the procedure has made the LP shunt a safer procedure than the VP shunt. The programmable valve can avoid overdrainage complications and reduce the revision rate. With our procedural steps, the LP shunt can be used to decrease the complications and revision rates. Full article