Syndromes of overdrainage of ventricular shunting in childhood hydrocephalus

• Published in: Neurocirugía (Asturias, Spain) Vol. 16; no. 2; pp. 124 - 133
• Main Authors: Martínez-Lage, J F, Pérez-Espejo, M A, Almagro, M J, Ros de San Pedro, J, López, F, Piqueras, C, Tortosa, J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Spanish
• Published: Spain 01.04.2005
• Subjects: Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts - adverse effects; Child; Child, Preschool; Female; Humans; Hydrocephalus - diagnostic imaging; Hydrocephalus - pathology; Hydrocephalus - surgery; Incidence; Infant; Infant, Newborn; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Postoperative Complications - classification; Postoperative Complications - epidemiology; Retrospective Studies; Syndrome; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• ISSN: 1130-1473

Overdrainage in ventricular shunting constitutes a difficult to prevent and to treat complication. The authors reviewed a retrospective series of 512 children submitted to a ventricular shunting procedure aimed at analysing factors influencing this type of complication. The causes for the hydrocephalus were congenital (n=172), post-myelomeningocele (n=123), posthemorrhagic (n=103), tumoral (n=64), postmeningitis (n=40) and posttraumatic (n=10). Eighty-eight children (17.8%) evolved with a complication related to the excessive function of the valve. The authors investigated the relationship between hydrocephalus' etiology and type of overdrainage syndromes. The most frequent complication was ventricular catheter block (n=50), followed by symptomatic slit ventricle syndrome (SVS) (n=19), subdural hematoma (n=10) and trapped fourth ventricle (n=9). There were no statistical differences regarding complications for each etiologic subset of hydrocephalus. SVS occurred in 19 children (3.71%), a low rate according to the current literature. Posthemorrhagic and postinfectious hydrocephalus grouped together showed a higher rate of SVS (p=0.005), a feature that we attributed to the cerebral destruction caused by these two conditions. Treatment of SVS was complex and required diverse procedures, applied in an escalated way, which included five decompressive craniectomies. The authors suggest avoiding, as much as possible, the use of ventricular shunts, and recommend the alternative use of new technology valves and neuroendoscopic procedures.