Evaluation of the ETV Success Score to Improve Decision Making on the Management of Hydrocephalus Secondary to Pediatric Posterior Fossa Tumors

Abstract

Introduction: Children with posterior fossa tumors (PFT) often have hydrocephalus, which can be treated via endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) before the tumor is removed, thereby improving surgical outcomes. Additionally, a scoring system that forecasts ETV success can help with this procedure's decision-making. The purpose of the research is to assess the effectiveness of electrotherapy (ETV) in treating PFT-related hydrocephalus and the predictive validity of the ETV effectiveness score. Materials and Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients aged < 18 years who received ETV prior to PFT resection between 2022 and 2023. For every patient, the ETV success score was acquired retroactively, and its ability to forecast success contrasted with the actual success was noted. Results: In the first six months after ETV, a worldwide success rate of 61.7% was observed in 40 surgical patients. For patients who were reviewed a year after surgery, this percentage decreased to 52.8%. The histological level of the tumor and the age of the victim did not correlate with the recovery rate. At both time periods, the ETV effectiveness score showed adequate accuracy (AUC = 0.671 at six months, AUC = 0.649 at one year). Conclusion: In summary, ETV has been shown to be a safe treatment that may effectively cure hydrocephalus in individuals with PFT. In addition, the ETV efficacy score can be a valuable tool for predicting the likelihood of successful endoscopic surgery.