Subduroperitoneal Shunt Research Articles

Subdural Lesions Linking Additional Intracranial Spaces and Chronic Subdural Hematomas: A Narrative Review with Mutual Correlation and Possible Mechanisms behind High Recurrence.

The purpose of this study was two-fold. The first was to investigate the pathologic mechanisms underlying the formation of subdural fluid collection, an umbrella term referring to a condition commonly seen in the clinical setting. Accumulation of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the subdural space can be referred to in this disease category, disregarding the underlying source of the subdural fluid. However, in these two clinical situations, especially after trauma or brain surgery, fluid collection from the subarachnoid space (subdural hygroma) or from the ventricle to the subarachnoid space and infusion into the subdural space (external hydrocephalus), surgical management of critical patients may adopt the strategies of burr-hole, subduroperitoneal shunt, or ventriculoperitoneal shunt, which present distinctly different thoughts. Crucially, the former can be further transformed into chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH). The second significant theme was the pathogenesis of CSDH. Once the potential dural border cell (DBC) layer is separated such as if a wound is formed, the physiological mechanisms that seem to promote wound healing will resume in the subdural space as follows: coagulation, inflammation, fibroblast proliferation, neovascularization, and fibrinolysis. These aptly correspond to several key characteristics of CSDH formation such as the presence of both coagulation and fibrinolysis signals within the clot, neomembrane formation, angiogenesis, and recurrent bleeding, which contribute to CSDH failing to coagulate and absorb easily. Such a complexity of genesis and the possibility of arising from multiple pathological patterns provide a reasonable explanation for the high recurrence rate, even after surgery. Among the various complex and clinically challenging subdural lesions, namely, CSDH (confined to the subdural space alone), subdural hygroma (linked in two spaces), and external hydrocephalus (linked in three spaces), the ability to fully understand the different pathological mechanisms of each, differentiate them clinically, and devote more interventional strategies (including anti-inflammatory, anti-angiogenic, and anti-fibrinolysis) will be important themes in the future.

ETMR-13. Embryonal Tumor with Multilayered Rosettes in an Infant: Case Report

Embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes (ETMR) is a highly malignant tumor (WHO grade 4) seen predominantly in infants. It includes morphologically distinct embryonal tumors namely, embryonal tumor with abundant neuropil and true rosettes, ependymoblastoma, and medulloepithelioma. The presence of multilayered rosettes and C19MC amplification at chromosome 19q13.42 confirms the diagnosis. The median overall survival is less than a year and the prognosis is generally poor. We report the case of a 1-year-old girl who presented with vomiting, lethargy, and increasing head circumference over a period of six months. On admission, she was drowsy and irritable. Verbal output was limited to moans and motor response was localizing. She was macrocephalic with a head circumference of 51 cm. MRI showed a large 5 x 5 x 6.5cm contrast-enhancing cerebellar vermian tumor with obstructive hydrocephalus. There was no evidence of leptomeningeal disease or spinal metastasis at this time. She underwent a right frontal ventriculoperitoneal shunt insertion, followed by suboccipital craniotomy and subtotal tumor resection one week later. Her shunt was ligated two days after tumor excision, due to development of bilateral subdural hygromas. The patient regained full consciousness, but still had spastic lower extremities and inability to swallow at the time of discharge. Histopathology and immunostains were consistent with an embryonal tumor, possibly ETMR, and the patient was for advised chemotherapy. Before initation of chemotherapy, the patient was admitted in another instution because of alteration in sensorium. Repeat imaging showed progression of the patient’s subdural hygromas, requiring insertion of a subduroperitoneal shunt. The patient died seven weeks after tumor resection due to progression of her tumor residual. Management options for ETMR are limited, especially in low- and middle-income countries. International linkages may help facilitate the accurate diagnosis and early treatment of these patients with rare but aggressive brain tumors.

Infantile Chronic Subdural Hematoma Secondary to Brain Atrophy

Chronic subdural hematoma (CSH) may develop in infants as a result of some accompanying circumstances of brain atrophy. A six-month-old boy with mental and motor retardation and increased head circumference was admitted in our hospital. His head circumference was over 97 percentile. Hypotonic and hypoactive baby couldn’t hold his head and wasn’t interested in surrounding enviroment. He had a history of aspiration pneumonia with no history of head trauma. MRI showed acute elements over chronic subdural hemorrhage spread almost all over the supratentorial area with severe cerebral atrophy. The brain volume was 95.252 mm 3 and it was around 1/6-1/8 of normal volume. It is thought that, chronic subdural hematoma was developed due to cerebral atrophy as a cascade started with chronic hypoxia and resulted as an increase in the head circumference and panhypopitruitism. After 10 days of subdural drainage, subduroperitoneal shunt was placed’. At the end of second month, head circumference stopped increasing, the patient could hold his head and started to be partially interested in the surrounding objects, however the change in the brain volume was not significant. Cognitive and motor functions progress very rapidly in the first two years of life. Early evacuation of CSH has a positive effect on prognosis and most commonly used method is subduraperitoneal shunt insertion.

Contralateral subdural effusion after decompressive craniectomy: What is the optimal treatment?

ObjectiveContralateral subdural effusion after decompressive craniectomy (CSEDC) is rare, and the optimal treatment is not determined. We present 11 cases of CSEDC and give an overview of the English literature pertaining to this disease. MethodsWe searched the database at our institution and performed a search of English literature in PubMed and Google Scholar. Keywords used were as follows (single word or combination): “subdural hygroma”; “subdural effusion”; “decompressive craniectomy”. Only patients with CSEDC and contained adequate clinical information pertinent to the analysis were included. Results11 cases of CSEDC were recorded at our institution. They comprised ten men and one woman with an average age of 41.9 years. All the 8 symptomatic patients underwent surgery and the CSEDC resolved gradually. 68 cases of CSEDC were found in the literature. Including ours, a total of 79 patients were analyzed. Conservative treatment was effective in the asymptomatic patients. 41.7% of the symptomatic CSEDC underwent burr hole drainage and successfully drained the CSEDC. However, 76% of them received subsequent surgery to manage the reaccumulation of CSEDC. 25% of the symptomatic patients underwent cranioplasty, while 13.3% of them received Ommaya drainage later because of CSEDC recurrence. 18.3% of the symptomatic patients underwent cranioplasty plus subduroperitoneal shunting, and all CSEDC resolved completely. ConclusionsBurr hole drainage appears to be only a temporary measure. Early cranioplasty should be performed for patients with CSEDC. CSF shunting procedures may be required for patients in whom CSEDC have not been solved or hydrocephalus manifest after cranioplasty.

Endoscopic Management of Intra Ventricular Tumours

Objective: Neuroendoscopic removal of intraventricular tumors is difficult and time consuming because of the lack of an effective decompression system that can be used through the working channel of the endoscope. The authors report on the utilization of an endoscopic ultrasonic aspirator in the resection of intraventricular tumors. Methods: Seventeen pediatric patients (14 male, 3 female), ages 1-15 years old, underwent surgery via a purely endoscopic approach using a Gaab rigid endoscope and endoscopic ultrasonic aspirator. Ten patients presented with an intraventricular tumor, three with paraventricular, and 4 with suprasellar lesions. Histology analysis showed 6/17 glial tumors, 3/17 with subependymal giant cell astrocytomas (associated with tuberous sclerosis), two cases presented with intraventricular metastases from high-grade tumors (medulloblastoma, atypical teratoid rhabdoid tumor), 4/17 with suprasellar tumors (2 craniopharyngiomas and 2 optic pathway gliomas), and two with pineal region tumors (1 immature teratoma, 1 PNET). In all patients, the endoscopic trajectory and ventricular access were guided by electromagnetic neuronavigation. Fifteen patients underwent surgery via a precoronal bur hole while supine. In 1 case, surgery was performed through a frontal anterior bur hole and one patient underwent surgery via a posterior parietal approach to the trigone while in a lateral position. The endoscopic technique consisted of visualization of the tumor, ventricular washing to dilate the ventricles and to control bleeding, obtaining a tumor specimen with biopsy forceps, and ultrasonic aspiration of the tumor. Bleeding was controlled with irrigation, monopolar coagulation, and a thulium laser. Results/Discussion: In 9 cases, the resection was total or near total (more than 90% of lesion removed). In 8 cases, the resection was partial or biopsy. Histological evaluation of the collected material (withdrawn using biopsy forceps and aspirated with an ultrasonic aspirator) was diagnostic in all cases. The duration of surgery ranged from 30 to 120 minutes. One case was complicated by subdural hygroma requiring a subduro-peritoneal shunt implant. The dry field technique was used in cases with persistence of bleeding. Conclusion: Patients harboring intraventricular tumors are in most cases ideal candidates for endoscopy biopsy/resection. In this series, endoscopic ultrasonic aspiration proved to be a safe and reliable method for achieving extensive decompression or complete removal in the management of intra- and/or paraventricular lesions in pediatric patients.

Ruptured intracranial arachnoid cysts in the subdural space: evaluation of subduro-peritoneal shunts in a pediatric population.

Rupture of arachnoid cysts (AC) in the subdural space after trauma may cause a subacute/chronic subdural hematoma or a hygroma. Treatment of this complication still remains controversial, and no consensual strategy is to date clearly proposed. In this study, the authors evaluated the clinical and radiological evolution of patients treated by a subduro-peritoneal shunt for symptomatic subdural collections complicating ruptured AC. Medical records of the 10 patients treated at our institution between January 2005 and December 2018 for a subdural collection associated with an intracranial AC were reviewed. Subduro-peritoneal shunts consisted of low-pressure valves from 2005 to 2012 (6 cases) and medium-pressure valves after 2012 (4 cases). A benign head trauma was retrospectively found in the history of 8 patients. The mean time to diagnosis ranged from 15days to 5months. Symptoms resulted mainly from intracranial hypertension. Six patients had an ipsilateral hygroma to the AC, 2 patients had a bilateral hygroma predominantly to the AC side, and 2 patients presented an ipsilateral chronic subdural hematoma. Arachnoid cysts were classified as Galassi I in 5 cases and Galassi II in 5 cases. Patients with chronic subdural hematoma were given a medium-pressure valve. Patients with subdural hygroma received a low-pressure valve in 6 cases and a medium-pressure valve in 2 cases. There were no complications during surgical procedures. All patients were rapidly free of symptoms after surgery and were discharged from hospital 1 to 4days postoperatively. The subdural collection completely disappeared in all cases. In the long term, only 2 patients with low-pressure valves underwent shunt removal without any consequences, while a second surgical procedure was necessary to treat recurrence of intracranial hypertension in the 4 remaining cases. All the medium-pressure valves were removed without problems. The size of the AC was reduced in 3 cases, remained stable in 4 cases, and increased in 3 cases. No patients experienced recurrence of subdural collection during follow-up. Medium-pressure subduro-peritoneal shunts should be considered as part of the arsenal of surgical strategy in symptomatic ruptured AC in the subdural space. The procedure is simple with a very low morbidity, and it allows rapid improvement of symptoms. Although the shunt is located in the subdural space, we strongly recommend avoiding devices which may create an overdrainage and expose the patient to shunt dependency such as low-pressure shunts.

Management of Subdural Hematohygromas in Abusive Head Trauma.

The optimal management of nonacute subdural fluid collections in infantile abusive head trauma (AHT) remains controversial. To review the outcomes and costs of the various treatments for symptomatic subdural fluid collections in children with AHT at a single center. Our AHT database was queried to identify children requiring any intervention for hematohygromas. Demographic, hospital course, radiologic, cost, readmission, and follow-up information were collected. From January 2009 to March 2018, the authors identified 318 children with AHT, of whom 210 (66%) had a subdural collection of any type (blood or cerebrospinal fluid). A total of 50 required some form of intervention specifically for chronic hematohygromas. The initial management consisted of transfontanelle percutaneous aspiration (n=31), burr holes with (n=12) or without (n=3) external subdural drainage, and mini-craniotomy (n=4). Of those who were initially managed with 1 or more needle aspiration, 23 (74%) required further intervention-12 subduroperitoneal shunts and 11 nonshunt procedures. No patient who underwent burr holes/external drainage required further intervention (n=16). Overall, the average number of interventions needed in these 50 children for definitive treatment was 1.8 (range, 1-4). A total of 15 children ultimately required a subduroperitoneal shunt. Complications (infectious, hemorrhagic, and thrombotic) were significant and occurred in all treatment groups except burr holes without drainage (n=3). The average hospital charge for the entire cohort was $166 300.25 (range, $19 126-$739 248). Based on our experience to date, burr hole with controlled external subdural drainage is an effective and preferred treatment for traumatic hematohygromas; complications and need for additional intervention is low.

Progressively enlarging childhood chronic subdural hematoma surgically treated 26 years after diagnosis.

Pediatric chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) is a relatively common disorder. Treatment often requires burr hole drainage or subduroperitoneal shunt placement; some patients are managed conservatively. However, the long-term outcome of untreated pediatric CSDH is unknown. The authors report a case of a huge, progressively enlarging subdural granuloma that was surgically treated 26years after the initial diagnosis of CSDH. This 30-year-old male patient presented with worsening intermittent atonic seizure-like movements, which had been noted since he was 4years old. At that time, the patient was diagnosed with CSDH at an outside hospital, but an operation was refused by the parents. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed at 23years of age showed a huge subdural mass on the right frontoparietal region and a smaller mass on the left side with a significant midline shift. Upon presentation at the age of 30, MRI revealed worsening of the right subdural mass and midline shift. Subsequently, the patient underwent craniotomy and subtotal removal of the mass and capsule. The volume of the content was approximately 430cc. Untreated pediatric CSDH can grow progressively, even over several decades. Patients with CSDH, especially those managed conservatively, should be closely monitored for worsening symptoms over a long-term follow-up period.

Acute post-traumatic hydrocephalus in children due to aqueductal obstruction by blood clot: a series of 6 patients.

Post-traumatic hydrocephalus following head injury is a well-known entity. Most cases occur in patients with severe head injuries, often following decompressive craniectomy. On the contrary, acute post-traumatic hydrocephalus, caused by aqueductal obstruction by a blood clot, following mild head injury is uncommon. Six patients aged between 6 and 15months presented hydrocephalus secondary to a blood clot in the aqueduct. Because of intracranial hypertension at presentation, 4 patients were urgently treated with external ventricular drains (EVDs). Post-operative course was uneventful. In 2 cases, EVDs were removed without further treatments. In 2 cases, hydrocephalus recurred. These patients were successfully treated with endoscopic third ventriculostomy. The remaining two patients developed symptoms a few days after the trauma. One, that presented hydrocephalus at imaging, was managed with a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt; the other, that presented subdural hygroma, was managed with subduro-peritoneal shunt that was removed later. All patients had complete recovery. Hydrocephalus secondary to clot in the aqueduct may rarely be the result of mild head injury in young children. Usually, prompt surgical management warrants a very good outcome. Most children may be treated without a permanent shunt, by using external drains and endoscopic third ventriculostomy.

Route of antibiotic prophylaxis for prevention of cerebrospinal fluid-shunt infection.

The main complication of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt surgery is shunt infection. Prevention of these shunt infections consists of the perioperative use of antibiotics that can be administered in five different ways: orally; intravenously; intrathecally; topically; and via the implantation of antibiotic-impregnated shunt catheters. To determine the effect of different routes of antibiotic prophylaxis (i.e. oral, intravenous, intrathecal, topical and via antibiotic-impregnated shunt catheters) on CSF-shunt infections in persons treated for hydrocephalus using internalised CSF shunts. We conducted a systematic electronic search without restrictions on language, date or publication type. We performed the search on the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) in the Cochrane Library, MEDLINE and Embase, with the help of the Information Specialist of the Cochrane Multiple Sclerosis and Rare Diseases of the CNS Group. The search was performed in January 2018. All randomised and quasi-randomised controlled trials that studied the effect of antibiotic prophylaxis, in any dose or administration route, for the prevention of CSF-shunt infection in patients that were treated with an internal cerebrospinal fluid shunt. Patients with external shunts were not eligible. Two review authors independently extracted data from included studies. We resolved disagreements by discussion or by referral to an independent researcher within our department when necessary. Analyses were also performed by at least two authors. We included a total of 11 small randomised controlled trials, containing 1109 participants, in this systematic review. Three of these studies included solely children, and the remaining eight included participants of all ages. Most studies were limited to the evaluation of ventriculoperitoneal shunts. However, five studies included participants with ventriculoatrial shunts, of which one study contained four participants with a subduroperitoneal shunt. We judged four out of 11 (36%) trials at unclear risk of bias, while the remaining seven trials (64%) scored high risk of bias in one or more of the components assessed.We analysed all included studies in order to estimate the effect of antibiotic prophylaxis on the proportion of shunt infections regardless of administration route. Although the quality of evidence in these studies was low, there may be a positive effect of antibiotic prophylaxis on the number of participants who had shunt infections (RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.36 to 0.84), meaning a 55% reduction in the number of participants who had shunt infection compared with standard care or placebo.Within the different administration routes, only within intravenous administration of antibiotic prophylaxis there may be evidence of an effect on the risk of shunt infections (RR 0.55, 95% CI 0.33 to 0.90). However, this was the only route that contained more than two studies (8 studies; 797 participants). Evidence was uncertain for both, intrathecal administration of antibiotics (RR 0.73, 95% CI 0.28 to 1.93, 2 studies; 797 participants; low quality evidence) and antibiotic impregnated catheters (RR 0.36, 95% CI 0.10 to 1.24, 1 study; 110 participants; very low quality evidence) AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Antibiotic prophylaxis may have a positive effect on lowering the number of participants who had shunt infections. However, the quality of included studies was low and the effect is not consistent within the different routes of administration that have been analysed. It is therefore uncertain whether prevention of shunt infection varies by different antibiotic agents, different administration routes, timing and doses; or by characteristics of patients, e.g. children and adults. The results of the review should be seen as hypothesis-generating rather than definitive, and the results should be confirmed in adequately powered trials or large multicentre studies in order to obtain high-quality evidence in the field of ventricular shunt infection prevention.

Minicraniotomy with a subgaleal pocket for the treatment of subdural fluid collections in infants.

Various surgical techniques have been described to treat subdural fluid collections in infants, including transfontanelle aspiration, burr holes, subdural drain, subduroperitoneal shunt, and minicraniotomy. The purpose of this study was to describe a modification of the minicraniotomy technique that avoids the implantation of external drainage catheters and potentially carries a higher success rate. In this retrospective study, the authors describe 11 cases involving pediatric patients who underwent parietal minicraniotomies for the evacuation of subdural fluid collections. In contrast to cases previously described in the literature, no patient received a drain; instead, a subgaleal pocket was created such that the fluid could flow from the subdural to the subgaleal space. Preoperative and postoperative data were reviewed, including neurological examination findings, radiological findings, complications, hospital length of stay, and findings on follow-up examinations and imaging. The primary outcome was failure of the treatment strategy, defined as an increase in subdural fluid collection requiring further intervention. Eleven patients (8 boys and 3 girls, median age 4.5 months) underwent the described procedure. Eight of the patients had complete resolution of the subdural collection on follow-up imaging, and 2 had improvement. One patient had a new subdural collection due to a second injury. Only 1 patient underwent aspiration and subsequent surgical repair of a pseudomeningocele after the initial surgery. Notably, no patients required subduroperitoneal shunt placement. The authors describe a new surgical option for subdural fluid collections in infants that allows for more aggressive evacuation of the subdural fluid and eliminates the need for a drain or shunt placement. Further work with more patients and direct comparison to other alternative therapies is necessary to fully evaluate the efficacy and safety of this new technique.

The interhemispheric approach in children: our experience and review of the literature.

The interhemispheric approach (IA) has been extensively described for treating pathologies located at the lateral or third ventricle, pineal region, and periventricular locations. While these anatomical locations are the target of many pediatric pathologies, very few series have analyzed the morbidity and outcome of the IA in children. The aim of this study is to describe our experience using the IA in children, emphasizing the approach-related morbidity. Twenty-six patients underwent 28 procedures using the IA between the years 2012 and 2016. Data for these patients was retrospectively analyzed. Surgical and approach-related morbidity were collected and analyzed. The mean age of the cohort was 10.1 ± 4.2years and included 15 females (57.7%). Approach-related morbidity occurred following eight surgeries (28.6%; seven with anterior IA and one with posterior IA), including two pseudomeningoceles (7.1%), three persistent subdural effusions (10.7%), of which two were locally drained and one required subduro-peritoneal shunting, one epidural bleed (3.6%) which resolved spontaneously, and two infections (3.6%) treated with antibiotics. Cerebrospinal fluid leaks, supplementary motor area syndrome, seizures, and subdural hematomas did not occur in any of the patients. None of the approach-related complications led to permanent morbidity or to mortality. The IA for lesions in and around the ventricular system is feasible and associated with a low permanent complication rate. When choosing this approach, the morbidity, although rarely permanent, should be considered.

Subdural Hygroma Following Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy: Understanding the Pathophysiology

Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) has overtaken the use of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt for the treatment of congenital hydrocephalus. Although ETV is relatively safe, several postoperative complications have been reported. One of the least described and understood complications is subdural hygroma following third ventriculostomy. In this series, we retrospectively analyzed patients who were managed for postventriculostomy subdural hygroma and analyzed the possible factors responsible for this condition. A total of 248 patients who underwent ETV between 2014 and 2016 were included in this study. Twelve patients (4.8%) had developed subdural hygroma, including 6 patients with bilateral hygroma, 2 with contralateral hygroma, and 4 with ipsilateral subdural hygroma. Only 4 patients (1.6%) were symptomatic, with complains of pseudomeningocele, persistent vomiting, or headache. Significant mass effect was present in 2 patients with unilateral subdural hygroma, which improved after placement of a subduroperitoneal shunt. In 1 patient, the subdural hygroma decreased with persistent ventriculomegaly and improved after ventriculoperitoneal shunt implantation. One patient with posttraumatic hydrocephalus who had a bilateral subdural hygroma following ETV improved with conservative management. At a 12-month follow-up, all patients remained asymptomatic. Post-ETV subdural hygroma may result from poor absorption of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the subarachnoid space, dysfunction of the stoma with persistence of the ventriculosubdural fistula, or altered CSF cytology, such as hemorrhage. Most of these patients remain asymptomatic and improve with time. Symptomatic patients should be properly evaluated for the cause of the formation of subdural hygroma, which will guide the appropriate interventions.

Challenges in cerebrospinal fluid shunting in patients with glioblastoma

BackgroundCerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation disturbances may occur during the course of disease in patients with glioblastoma. Ventriculoperitoneal shunting has generally been recommended to improve symptoms in glioblastoma patients. Shunt implantation for patients with glioblastoma, however, presents as a complex situation and produces different problems to shunting in other contexts. Information on complications of shunting glioma patients has rarely been the subject of investigation. In this retrospective study, we analysed restropectively the course and outcome of glioblastoma-related CSF circulation disturbances after shunt management in a consecutive series of patients within a period of over a decade.MethodsThirty of 723 patients with histopathologically-confirmed glioblastoma diagnosed from 2002 to 2016 at the Department of Neurosurgery, Hannover Medical School, underwent shunting for CSF circulation disorders. Treatment history of glioblastoma and all procedures associated with shunt implementation were analyzed. Data on follow-up, time to progression and survival rates were obtained by review of hospital charts and supplemented by phone interviews with the patients, their relations or the primary physicians.ResultsMean age at the time of diagnosis of glioblastoma was 43 years. Five types of CSF circulation disturbances were identified: obstructive hydrocephalus (n = 9), communicating hydrocephalus (n = 15), external hydrocephalus (n = 3), trapped lateral ventricle (n = 1), and expanding fluid collection in the resection cavity (n = 2). All patients showed clinical deterioration. Procedures for CSF diversion were ventriculoperitoneal shunt (n = 21), subduroperitoneal shunt (n = 3), and cystoperitoneal shunt (n = 2). In patients with lower Karnofsky Performance Score (KPS) (< 60), there was a significant improvement of median KPS after shunt implantation (p = 0.019). Shunt revision was necessary in 9 patients (single revision, n = 6; multiple revisions, n = 3) due to catheter obstruction, catheter dislocation, valve defect, and infection. Twenty-eight patients died due to disease progression during a median follow-up time of 88 months. The median overall survival time after diagnosis of glioblastoma was 10.18 months.ConclusionsCSF shunting in glioblastoma patients encounters more challenge and is associated with increased risk of complications, but these can be usually managed by revision surgeries. CSF shunting improves neurological function temporarily, enhances quality of life in most patients although it is not known if survival rate is improved.

Papiloma de plexo coróide

Os autores relatam um caso de um paciente de 5 meses de idade, com papiloma de plexo coróide(PPC) associado a hidrocefalia importante por super-produção liquórica. Como decorrência do tratamento, inúmeras complicações ocorreram, como hematoma subdural agudo, coleção subdural crônica de início hipertensivo, sendo necessários vários procedimentos cirúrgicos, culminando com derivação ventrículo peritoneal e subduro-peritoneal.

Chronic subdural hematoma associated with arachnoid cyst of the middle fossa : Surgical treatment and mid-term results in fifteen patients.

We report the neurological and radiological features, surgical management and Mid-term outcome in a series of patients with chronic subdural hematoma (CSDH) and associated ipsilateral arachnoid cyst (AC) of the middle fossa. Between August 2004 and August 2012, 453 patients were treated with diagnosis of CSDH in our clinic. Of those, 15 patients had ipsilateral arachnoid cyst in the middle fossa. A single burr hole craniostomy was performed to drain the hematoma and the AC left intact at first in 14 patients, one patient had no surgical intervention. Follow-up period ranged from 13 months to 88 months (mean 43.07 ± 23.23 months). The patients having CSDH with AC were found to be younger than the patients with CSDH alone, the mean age was 13.93 ±12.37 years Eleven patients had head trauma 21 to 50 days before admission. Hematoma evacuation through a single burr hole and closed system subdural drainage 2 to 4 days after surgery improved the symptoms in all patients. Two patients developed subdural fluid collection which is treated by subduroperitoneal shunt placement. Greater prevalence of ACs in patients with CSDHs has been reported in the literature. We recommend the drainage of the hematoma via a single craniostomy and to leave the AC intact as the first choice of treatment if the associated AC is a Galassi type I or II. Additional subduroperitoneal shunting may be performed in patients with Galassi type III cyst.

An Idiopathic Huge Trapped Temporal Horn: Surgical Strategy and Review of Literature

Background: Temporal horn entrapment is a very rare kind of isolated focal hydrocephalus, with only limited number of known cases in worldwide. To our knowledge, we present the first case of idiopathic unilateral and largest trapped temporal horn as well as a review of all similar cases published in the literature to the present time. Case report: We present a case of 16-year-old boy with 3 months history of persistent headache, cranial asymmetry and mild stuttering. Brain imaging showed the huge trapped temporal. Considering the presence of significant midline shift, the patient underwent microscopic transtemporal ventriculocysto- cisternostomy. Post-surgery, there was a subdural hygroma, observed conservatively. Development of persistent night time headache mandates team to put subduro-peritoneal shunt which ameliorated headache completely. Conclusion: In the presence of large entrapped temporal horn reconnection to the CSF pathway via a microsurgical ventriculo-cisternostomy could be attempted. Subdural hygroma might be a complication of this approach and can be successfully treated with a subduro-peritoneal shunt.

Assessment of endoscopic treatment for quadrigeminal cistern arachnoid cysts: A 7-year experience with 28 cases.

Quadrigeminal cistern arachnoid cysts (QACs) are difficult to treat because of their deep location and the presence of nervous and vascular structures of the pineal-quadrigeminal region. There are several surgical procedures available for QACs, including craniotomy and cyst excision or fenestration, ventriculoperitoneal or cystoperitoneal shunting, and endoscopic fenestration. There is a debate about which method is the best. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of endoscopic ventriculocystostomy (VC) and third ventriculostomy (ETV) for treatment of arachnoid cysts of the quadrigeminal cistern. Twenty-eight patients with QACs who had undergone endoscopic treatment in our department between August 2007 and June 2014 were studied retrospectively. Patient age at the time of endoscopic treatment ranged from 5 months to 42 years, including 25 children (14 males and 11 females) and 3 adults (one male and two females). All patients presented with hydrocephalus and did not undergo shunting prior to neuroendoscopic surgery. The first endoscopic procedures included lateral ventricle cystostomy (LVC) together with ETV in 18 cases, third ventricle cystostomy (3rd VC) together with ETV in 3 cases, and double VC (3rd VC and LVC) together with ETV in 7 cases. Data were obtained on clinical and neuroradiological presentation, indications to treat, surgical technique, complications, and the results of clinical and neuroradiological follow-up. Complete success was achieved in 25 (89.3 %) of 28 cases. During the follow-up period, one case underwent endoscopic reoperation with success. Shunts were implanted in 2 patients due to progression of symptoms and increase in hydrocephalus after the first endoscopic operation. Shunt independency was achieved in 26 (92.9 %) of 28 cases. The cyst was reduced in size in 22 cases (78.6 %). Postoperative images showed a reduction in the size of the ventricles in 23 cases (82.1 %). There was no surgical mortality. Subdural collection developed in 4 cases (14.3 %) and required a transient subduroperitoneal shunt in 2 cases, whereas the other 2 patients were asymptomatic and did not require any surgical treatment. VC together with ETV through precoronal approach is an effective treatment for symptomatic QACs and should be the initial surgical procedure. The surgical indications should include signs of elevated ICP (including increased head circumference), Parinaud syndrome, gait ataxia, and nystagmus. Also, surgery is indicated by progressive enlargement of the cyst and young children with large cysts even if the patients are asymptomatic. Contraindications to surgery include the absence of symptoms (older children and adult) and isolated developmental delay. The main criterion for successful surgery should be improvement of clinical symptoms instead of reduced cyst volume and/or ventricular size. Repeated endoscopic procedures may be considered only for the patients whose symptoms improved after first endoscopic operation.

Subdural hygroma associated with axillary cystic hygroma

We present a case of a 4-month-old girl with a history of a huge axillary cystic hygroma since birth, with elective surgical resection of the lesion and subsequent development of infection at the surgery site. During hospitalization for the infection, she developed seizures, a bulging fontanelle, increased head circumference, and widely separated cranial sutures. Brain imaging demonstrated new, large, bilateral subdural fluid collections with membrane enhancement around the left-sided collection. She was managed by subdural tap, bilateral craniotomy, broad-spectrum antibiotics, and subduroperitoneal shunt insertion. Ultimately, she had complete recovery without complications. This case adds to the spectrum of intracranial conditions that have been associated with cystic hygroma.

Cortical gluing and Ringer lactate solution inflation to avoid cortical mantle collapse and subdural fluid collections in pediatric neurosurgery: safety and feasibility.

Subdural fluid collections following intraventricular and/or paraventricular procedures in pediatric neurosurgery are common and can be hard to treat. We describe our technique to close cortical defects by the aid of a fibrin adhesive and subsequent Ringer inflation with the aim to avoid cortical mantle collapse and to prevent the development of subdural fluid collections. We report the preliminary results of a prospective study on a consecutive series of 29 children who underwent 37 transcortical or transcallosal surgical procedures since 2008 in our department. In 17 procedures, we performed a transcortical approach on lesions, and in other 19 operations, we operated by a transcallosal. In 5/17 transcortical approaches (29%) and in 3/20 transcallosal approaches (15%), we observed a 5-mm-thick subdural fluid collection of the 5 patients with subdural fluid collections in the transcortical group, 3 patients (17%) underwent surgery for symptomatic or progressive subdural fluid collections. Of the 3 patients in the transcallosal group, a subduro-peritoneal shunt was necessary only for 1 patient (5%). At the very end of the treatment (including chemotherapy and radiotherapy), it was possible to remove the subduro-peritoneal shunt in all these patients because of disappearance of the subdural fluid collections. In pediatric patients after transcortical or transcallosal procedures, the use of a fibrin adhesive to seal surgical opening and subsequent inflation of the residual cavity with Ringer lactate solution to avoid cortical mantle collapse seems safe and appears to prevent the development of subdural fluid collections.