The role of endoscopic choroid plexus coagulation in the surgical management of bilateral choroid plexuses hyperplasia

Abstract

Bilateral choroid plexus hyperplasia is a rare condition often associated with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) overproduction. CSF overproduction is usually so high that the placement of a CSF ventriculoperitoneal shunt almost always results in progressive ascites leading to the necessity of removing the inserted shunt device. A direct surgical treatment of the hyperplastic choroid plexuses is then mandatory. Endoscopic coagulation of the choroid plexuses has been recently proposed as an alternative to open surgical plexectomy. However, the effectiveness of the procedure in controlling CSF overproduction is still debated. We report a case of bilateral choroid plexus hyperplasia in which an extensive bilateral endoscopic coagulation of the choroid plexuses failed to reduce the CSF formation rate sufficiently. A one-stage bilateral open surgical plexectomy was performed. The procedure succeeded to control CSF overproduction. Intraoperative blood loss during the surgical removal of the choroid plexuses was significantly reduced due to the previous coagulation of their surface. On these grounds, we suggest that endoscopic choroid plexuses coagulation, even when failing to normalize CSF production, may still be considered as a valid adjuvant procedure in the management of this condition.