scholarly journals Failure of third ventriculostomy in the treatment of aqueductal stenosis in children

1999 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. E5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Cinalli ◽  
Christian Sainte-Rose ◽  
Paul Chumas ◽  
Michel Zerah ◽  
Francis Brunelle ◽  
...  

Object The goal of this study was to analyze the types of failure and long-term efficacy of third ventriculostomy in children. Methods The authors retrospectively analyzed clinical data obtained in 213 children affected by obstructive triventricular hydrocephalus who were treated by third ventriculostomy between 1973 and 1997. There were 120 boys and 93 girls. The causes of the hydrocephalus included: aqueductal stenosis in 126 cases; toxoplasmosis in 23 cases, pineal, mesencephalic, or tectal tumor in 42 cases; and other causes in 22 cases. In 94 cases, the procedure was performed using ventriculographic guidance (Group I) and in 119 cases by using endoscopic guidance (Group II). In 19 cases (12 in Group I and seven in Group II) failure was related to the surgical technique. Three deaths related to the technique were observed in Group I. For the remaining patients, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed a functioning third ventriculostomy rate of 72% at 6 years with a mean follow-up period of 45.5 months (range 4 days-17 years). No significant differences were found during long-term follow up between the two groups. In Group I, a significantly higher failure rate was seen in children younger than 6 months of age, but this difference was not observed in Group II. Thirty-eight patients required reoperation (21 in Group I and 17 in Group II) because of persistent or recurrent intracranial hypertension. In 29 patients shunt placement was necessary. In nine patients in whom there was radiologically confirmed obstruction of the stoma, the third ventriculostomy was repeated; this was successful in seven cases. Cine phase-contrast (PC) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging studies were performed in 15 patients in Group I at least 10 years after they had undergone third ventriculostomy (range 10–17 years, median 14.3 years); this confirmed long-term patency of the stoma in all cases. Conclusions Third ventriculostomy effectively controls obstructive triventricular hydrocephalus in more than 70% of children and should be preferred to placement of extracranial cerebrospinal shunts in this group of patients. When performed using ventriculographic guidance, the technique has a higher mortality rate and a higher failure rate in children younger than 6 months of age and is, therefore, no longer preferred. When third ventriculostomy is performed using endoscopic guidance, the same long-term results are achieved in children younger than 6 months of age as in older children and, thus, patient age should no longer be considered as a contraindication to using the technique. Delayed failures are usually secondary to obstruction of the stoma and often can be managed by repeating the procedure. Midline sagittal T2-weighted MR imaging sequences combined with cine PC MR imaging flow measurements provide a reliable tool for diagnosis of aqueductal stenosis and for ascertaining the patency of the stoma during follow-up evaluation.

1999 ◽  
Vol 90 (3) ◽  
pp. 448-454 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Cinalli ◽  
Christian Sainte-Rose ◽  
Paul Chumas ◽  
Michel Zerah ◽  
Francis Brunelle ◽  
...  

Object. The goal of this study was to analyze the types of failure and long-term efficacy of third ventriculostomy in children.Methods. The authors retrospectively analyzed clinical data obtained in 213 children affected by obstructive triventricular hydrocephalus who were treated by third ventriculostomy between 1973 and 1997. There were 120 boys and 93 girls. The causes of the hydrocephalus included: aqueductal stenosis in 126 cases; toxoplasmosis in 23 cases, pineal, mesencephalic, or tectal tumor in 42 cases; and other causes in 22 cases. In 94 cases, the procedure was performed using ventriculographic guidance (Group I) and in 119 cases by using endoscopic guidance (Group II). In 19 cases (12 in Group I and seven in Group II) failure was related to the surgical technique. Three deaths related to the technique were observed in Group I. For the remaining patients, Kaplan—Meier survival analysis showed a functioning third ventriculostomy rate of 72% at 6 years with a mean follow-up period of 45.5 months (range 4 days–17 years). No significant differences were found during long-term follow up between the two groups. In Group I, a significantly higher failure rate was seen in children younger than 6 months of age, but this difference was not observed in Group II. Thirty-eight patients required reoperation (21 in Group I and 17 in Group II) because of persistent or recurrent intracranial hypertension. In 29 patients shunt placement was necessary. In nine patients in whom there was radiologically confirmed obstruction of the stoma, the third ventriculostomy was repeated; this was successful in seven cases. Cine phase-contrast (PC) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging studies were performed in 15 patients in Group I at least 10 years after they had undergone third ventriculostomy (range 10–17 years, median 14.3 years); this confirmed long-term patency of the stoma in all cases.Conclusions. Third ventriculostomy effectively controls obstructive triventricular hydrocephalus in more than 70% of children and should be preferred to placement of extracranial cerebrospinal shunts in this group of patients. When performed using ventriculographic guidance, the technique has a higher mortality rate and a higher failure rate in children younger than 6 months of age and is, therefore, no longer preferred. When third ventriculostomy is performed using endoscopic guidance, the same long-term results are achieved in children younger than 6 months of age as in older children and, thus, patient age should no longer be considered as a contraindication to using the technique. Delayed failures are usually secondary to obstruction of the stoma and often can be managed by repeating the procedure. Midline sagittal T2-weighted MR imaging sequences combined with cine PC MR imaging flow measurements provide a reliable tool for diagnosis of aqueductal stenosis and for ascertaining the patency of the stoma during follow-up evaluation.


Blood ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 110 (11) ◽  
pp. 1631-1631
Author(s):  
Stefan Kuhle ◽  
Maria Spavour ◽  
Jacqueline Halton ◽  
Patricia Massicotte ◽  
Irene Cherrick ◽  
...  

Abstract BACKGROUND: Asymptomatic deep venous thrombosis (DVT) are well-known complications of treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children. However, the clinical significance of radiographically detected, asymptomatic DVT is unclear and controversial, as there are no studies on long-term outcome of asymptomatic DVT in children available. There are two likely reasons for the studies not being done in this area. First, there is a lack of defined cohorts of pediatric patients screened for DVT and secondly, there is a great deal of difficulty in following patients over many years. The study, Prophylaxis with Antithrombin Replacement in Kids with ALL treated with L-Asparaginase (PARKAA) was a multicentre randomized controlled trial in which children with ALL were screened for DVT. As survivors of childhood cancer, the PARKAA cohort continues to be followed in their respective centers. Therefore, establishment of the PARKAA cohort (1997–99) and the ability to locate these patients provided a unique opportunity to study the long-term outcome of asymptomatic DVT. OBJECTIVE: To assess the incidence of PTS in children with ALL who previously had an asymptomatic DVT. The objective were approached in two ways. Firstly, to assess the outcome of asymptomatic DVT by determining the prevalence of PTS in children with a history of ALL with radiographically diagnosed DVT (PARKAA cohort); secondly, to corroborate the findings by determining the prevalence of PTS in an unselected group of survivors of childhood ALL. METHODS: Cross-sectional study in two separate populations: Group I comprised of children enrolled in the PARKAA multicentre study who had been screened for, and diagnosed with, DVT in the upper venous system. Group II consisted of non-selected patients < 21 years with a history of ALL followed at Stollery Children’s Hospital, Edmonton. Patients were invited for a follow-up at their treatment centre (Group I) or were assessed for PTS childhood cancer survivor clinic (Group II). PTS was assessed by two of the investigators (Group I) or by the attending oncologist (Group II), respectively, using a standardized scoring sheet. RESULTS: Group I: 13 PARKAA patients with a history of ALL and objectively diagnosed DVT were assessed for PTS (4 males; median age 11.9 years; median age at diagnosis of ALL 4.4 years). 7/13 patients had PTS (54%, 95%CI 25;81). All patients with PTS had collaterals on examination, 3 also had increased arm circumference. Group II: 41 patients with a history of ALL were enrolled (61% males; median age at diagnosis 3.0 years; 28% high-risk, 67% standard risk). Mean length of follow-up since diagnosis was 9.5 years. PTS was diagnosed in 10/41 (24%; 95%CI 11–38) patients. All patients with PTS had collaterals on examination, 5 (50%) also had increased arm circumference. CONCLUSIONS: There is a clinically significant prevalence of PTS in children with a history of ALL and radiographically diagnosed DVT. A significant proportion of survivors of ALL develop PTS, indicating previously undiagnosed DVT in this population.


2004 ◽  
Vol 101 (3) ◽  
pp. 518-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy Thomas Daniel ◽  
Gabriel Yin Foo Lee ◽  
Peter Lawrence Reilly

✓ This 30-year-old woman presented with clinical symptoms and signs of intracranial hypertension and Parinaud syndrome secondary to ventriculoperitoneal shunt dysfunction. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed gross triventricular hydrocephalus with a large suprapineal recess due to aqueductal stenosis. Using an endoscopic approach, a ventriculostomy was performed within the floor of the dilated suprapineal recess. Following this procedure the patient experienced alleviation of all her neurological symptoms and signs. Postoperative MR imaging and cerebrospinal fluid flow studies demonstrated a functioning ventriculostomy. The anatomy of the suprapineal recess and its suitability for endoscopic ventriculostomy are discussed.


2019 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 47-53
Author(s):  
S. E. Mamchur ◽  
E. A. Ivanitskiy ◽  
O. M. Polikutina ◽  
T. Yu. Chichkova ◽  
I. N. Mamchur ◽  
...  

Aim. To estimate the efficacy of invasive and non-invasive long-term ECG monitoring in comparison with conventional follow-up for the detection of silent atrial fibrillation (AF)/atrial flutter (AFL)/atrial tachycardia (AT) in patients with a cryptogenic stroke.Methods. The randomized, prospective, two-center study enrolled 36 patients who suffered cryptogenic stroke (CS) or transient ischemic attack (TIA) without past history of AF/AFL/AT. Patients were randomized in a 1:1:1 ratio to one of the three ECG monitoring strategies: standard arrhythmia monitoring (group I, n=12), ECG-monitoring with implantable loop recorder (group II, n=12), and ambulatory noninvasive ECG monitoring (group III, n=12). The primary endpoint was the time to the first detection of AF/AFL/AT. Patients, assigned to the group I, underwent an assessment at scheduled and unscheduled visits and received ambulatory ECG monitoring 28 days and 1 year after randomization. Patients in the group II underwent implantation of Reveal XT (Medtronic, USA) with the daily remote data transmission to CareLink Network. In the group III, for long-term external monitoring, Spyder system (WEB Biotechnology, Singapore) was used for up to 28 days.Results. During the first 28 days of observation, there were no significant differences in AF detection rates between groups I, II, and III: 0 (0%), 1 (8%), and 2 (17%) cases, respectively, р=0.537. During the year of observation, AF/AFL/AT episodes were detected in 1 case (8%) in the group I, 6 cases (50%) in the group II, and 2 cases (17%) in the group III, p=0.0486. The mean time from enrollment into the study to detection of the first AF/AFL/AT episode was 67 days (15; 97) in all groups. In the groups II and III, the first arrhythmia episodes were detected by monitoring devices on days 24 and 6, respectively. In most cases, arrhythmia episodes detected by long-term monitoring were asymptomatic. Recurrent stroke or TIA events occurred in group I and III (1 case in each group), but not in the group with implantable cardiac monitors. Subgroup analysis showed that significantly higher AF/AFL/AT detection rate was associated with stroke, CHA2DS2VASc score ≥2, and the presence of hypertension. For the 12 months of follow-up, the mean AF burden in the group II was 0.4 (0.2; 0.5) hours per day (1.6%). In the patients with recurrent stroke, AF burden was 3.2% compared to 0.9% in the rest of patients.Conclusion. Detection of silent AF with implantable cardiac monitors is superior to standard and long-term external monitoring in cryptogenic stroke patients.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tarek Gharib ◽  
Ibrahim Abdelal ◽  
Adel Elatreisy ◽  
Elsayed Salih ◽  
Ahmed Sebaey

Abstract Objective: To evaluate effectiveness and safety of a 5mg tadalafil daily treatment for men with erectile dysfunction (ED) and premature ejaculation (PE) and assessment of long-term follow up by persistence of improvement 2 years after stoppage of tadalafil.Materials and Methods: The study included 160 patients diagnosed with erectile dysfunction from April 2018 to June 2020. All were evaluated using the international index of erectile function questionnaire-5 (IIEF-5) to evaluate ED and intravaginal ejaculatory latency time (IELT) for PE. Patients subdivided into two equal groups. I included 80 patients treated with tadalafil 5 mg daily for 3 months, and group II included 80 patients treated with a placebo for same period. After 3 months treatment and 2 years later after stoppage of tadalafil, all patients were assessed for ED and PE using the same questionnaires. Results: The mean IELT and IIEF pretreatment were 37±11.24 s and 13.2±4.2 respectively for group I, while in group II was 35.98±10.8 s and 13.12±4.11, respectively. After 3 months of treatment, the mean value of IELT in group I showed a highly significant improvement from 37±11.24 sec to 120.5±47.37 sec (p-value < 0.001), but for group II, the mean values of IELT showed no significant improvement from baseline 35.98±10.8 to endpoint 39.43±13.6 ( p-value > 0.05). As regarding the IIEF, there was a highly significant improvement from baseline 13.2±4.2 to endpoint 20.45±4.5 in group I (p-value < 0.001) while there was no significant difference in group II from baseline 13.12±4.11 to endpoint 15±4.84 (p-value > 0.05) . 2 years later after stoppage of tadalafil , 75 patients from group I complete follow up and there was significant improvement in IELT and IIEF form base line (37±11.24) (13.2±4.2) to endpoint (98±18.3) (19.1±2.3) respectively but less than the results after 3 months treatment.ConclusionDaily Tadalafil 5 mg was effective, tolerable, and safe treatment for patients suffering from ED and PE. Long-term follow up after 2 years declared persistence of significant improvement.


2015 ◽  
Vol 05 (04) ◽  
pp. 062-065
Author(s):  
Sanath Kumar Shetty ◽  
Arjun Ballal ◽  
Lawrence John Mathias ◽  
H. Ravindranath Rai

Abstract Background: Back pain is considered as one of the most unrewarding problems in clinical medicine. There have existed several etiologies for the same and most of them do not have an ideal clinical presentation. Only those syndromes associated with neurologic compression of the cauda equina or nerve roots, have reasonably well understood clinical presentation. Aims: The aim of the study was to analyse and compare the functional outcome of laminectomy and discectomy in lumbar intervertebral disc prolapse in short and long term follow up. Materials and methods: Our study included a total of 50 diagnosed cases of lumbar intervertebral disc prolapse between age group of 40-70 years. The patients were subdivided into two groups. The first group was a retrospective group and included patients who had undergone laminectomy and discectomy between January 1993 and December 2003 with an average follow up of 3.68 years. Group two (prospective group) consisted of patients between January 2004 and December 2004 who underwent laminectomy and discectomy, with a follow up of 6 months.The subjective assessment was done using the Oswestry disability index (O.D.I). the results obtained with assessment of group I and group II were tabulated compared. Statistical analysis was done using the chi square test. Results: The results were noted to be 76% excellent, 8% good and 16% with poor scores in group I. 96% with excellent, no patients with good scores and 4% with poor scores in group II as per the O.D.I. Conclusion: We conclude saying that laminectomy and discectomy had excellent outcome in terms of pain relief in terms of long term and short term follow up.


1992 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 349-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Pascual ◽  
J.L. Teruel ◽  
R. Marcén ◽  
F. LiañO ◽  
J.L. Moya ◽  
...  

The long-term impact of erythropoietin (EPO) treatment on cardiac structures and function was prospectively studied in eight hypertensive (Group I) and seven normotensive (Group II) patients on hemodialysis (HD). Doppler-echocardiograms were done before EPO and at two and twelve months of treatment. Mean hemoglobin (± SD) before EPO was 6.4 ± 0.9; it rose significantly up to two months and then remained constant. At two months, cardiac index (CI) had significantly decreased, while peripheral vascular resistances increased. Five patients required increased antihypertensive drug treatment. No changes were seen in myocardial parameters at this short follow-up. After one year, left ventricular mass index (LVMi) decreased (p < 0.05) in both groups concomitantly with a decrease in diastolic diameter and septum and posterior wall thicknesses. Basal LVMi was higher in Group I than in Group II, and after one year the regression was more marked in Group II. Left cardiac work showed prompt and steady improvement in both groups. Maintained partial correction of anemia with EPO during one year was associated with a return to normal of high CI, decreased left cardiac work and impressive regression of left ventricular hypertrophy.


Neurosurgery ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 57 (5) ◽  
pp. 873-886 ◽  
Author(s):  
Philipe Metellus ◽  
Jean Regis ◽  
Xavier Muracciole ◽  
Stephane Fuentes ◽  
Henry Dufour ◽  
...  

Abstract OBJECTIVE: To investigate the respective role of fractionated radiotherapy (FR) and gamma knife stereotactic (GKS) radiosurgery in cavernous sinus meningioma (CSM) treatment. METHODS: The authors report the long-term follow-up of two populations of patients harboring CSMs treated either by FR (Group I, 38 patients) or GKS radiosurgery (Group II, 36 patients). There were 31 females with a mean age of 53 years in Group I and 29 females with a mean age of 51.2 years in Group II. In 20 patients (Group I) and 13 patients (Group II), FR and GKS radiosurgery were performed as an adjuvant treatment. In 18 patients (Group I) and in 23 patients (Group II), FR and GKS radiosurgery were performed as first line treatment. In our early experience with GKS radiosurgery (1992, date of gamma knife availability in the department), patients with tumors greater than 3 cm, showing close relationship with the optic apparatus (&lt;3 mm) or skull base dural spreading, were treated by FR. Secondarily, with the advent of new devices and our growing experience, these criteria have evolved. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 88.6 months (range, 42–168 mo) for Group I and 63.6 months (range, 48–92 mo) for Group II. According to Sekhar's classification, 26 (68.4%) patients were Grade III to IV in Group I and 10 (27.8%) patients in Group II (P &lt; 0.05); 23 (60.5%) patients had extensive lesions in Group I and 7 (19.4%) patients in Group II (P &lt; 0.05). Mean tumor volume was 13.5 cm3 in Group I and 5.2 cm3 in Group II (P &lt; 0.05). Actuarial progression-free survival was 94.7% and 94.4% in Group I and II, respectively. Clinically, improvement was seen for 24 (63.2%) patients in Group I and for 21 (53.8%) patients in Group II (P &gt; 0.05). Radiologically, 11 (29%, Group I) patients and 19 (Group II, 52.7%) patients showed tumor shrinkage (P = 0.04). Transient morbidity was 10.5% in Group I and 2.8% in Group II. Permanent morbidity was 2.6% in Group I and 0% in Group II. CONCLUSION: FR and GKS radiosurgery are safe and efficient techniques in treatment of CSMs, affording comparable satisfactory long-term tumor control. However, GKS radiosurgery provides better radiological response, is far more convenient, and fits into most patients lives much better than FR. Therefore, in the authors' opinion, GKS radiosurgery should be advocated in first intention for patients with CSMs, whereas conventional radiotherapy should be reserved for cases that are not amenable to this technique, thus making these two therapeutic modalities not alternative but complementary tools in CS meningioma treatment strategy.


2011 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. E1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberto Faggin ◽  
Milena Calderone ◽  
Luca Denaro ◽  
Luisa Meneghini ◽  
Domenico d'Avella

Object Although a rarely reported occurrence, late failure of endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) may occur in children as a result of a variety of factors. Delay in recognition of symptoms can lead to harmful deterioration in the patient's condition. The authors undertook this study to assess the capacity of cine phase-contrast MR imaging to identify late failure in asymptomatic pediatric patients treated with ETV for hydrocephalus. Methods This study was a retrospective evaluation of cases involving patients who underwent ETV between January 1, 1999, and December 31, 2008, at the pediatric neurological surgery service of the University of Padua. Before 2004, patients were routinely followed up with cine MR imaging at 3, 6, and 12 months after ETV. In 2004, a protocol of annual cine MR follow-up was instituted as a result of a case of fatal late failure. The authors evaluated all cases of late failure identified through cine MR imaging and performed a statistical analysis to investigate the relationship between ETV failure and several variables, including the cause of hydrocephalus for which ETV was originally indicated. Results In a series of 84 patients (age range 6 days–16 years), 17 patients had early ETV failure. Of the remaining 67 patients, 5 (7%) were found to have no CSF flow through the fenestration and recurrent ventriculomegaly when assessed with cine MR imaging at 1, 2, 3, 4, and 7 years after ETV. The patient in whom ETV failure was identified 1 year postoperatively had Dandy-Walker malformation. The patients in whom ETV failure was identified 2, 3, and 4 years postoperatively all had undergone ETV for treatment of postinfective hydrocephalus. The patient in whom ETV failure was identified 7 years postoperatively had a cystic arachnopathy in the fourth ventricle after cerebellar astrocytoma removal. Conclusions Patients who undergo ETV for infective hydrocephalus and Dandy-Walker malformation should receive long-term follow-up, because late closure of the stoma may occur progressively and slowly. Intraoperative observation of thickened arachnoid membranes at the level of the interpeduncular cisterns at the first ETV and a progressive decreasing of CSF flow through the stoma on routine cine MR imaging should be considered unfavorable elements entailing a significant risk of deterioration.


Blood ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 108 (11) ◽  
pp. 3370-3370
Author(s):  
Shubham Pant ◽  
Pamela Ann Crilley ◽  
Anthony J. Dodds ◽  
Jeffrey Szer ◽  
Brian J. Bolwell ◽  
...  

Abstract In 1991, we reported the results of 127 patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) who underwent conditioning for allogeneic transplant with busulfan, 4 mg/kg on each of 4 days and cyclophosphamide 60 mg/kg on each of 2 days. In the current abstract, we report data on 295 patients, including the initial cohort, who underwent allogenic transplantation for AML from 1984 to 1995 at 7 participating institutions. Median age of patients is 33. One hundred forty nine men and 126 women underwent transplant. All patients received marrow from related HLA-identical donors. One hundred seven patients (36%) remain alive. One hundred forty one patients were transplanted in first remission (group I), 43 in second remission (group II) and 111 patients were in > 2nd remission or had refractory disease (group III). The median follow-up of patients in the initial study was 3 years and is 12 years in the current study. Seventy-five percent of patients surviving 3 years after transplantation are estimated survivors 12 years after transplant. Relapse (20), chronic GVHD (5) and infection (3) were the major causes of death in patients who died more than 3 years after transplantation. The estimated relapse rate for group I at 3 and 12 years is 18%(95% CI: 2–32%) and 29% (95% CI 11–47%) for group II is 40% (95% CI: 8–72%) and 52% (95% CI: 16–84%), and group III is 59% (95% CI: 37–81%) and 69% (95% CI: 45–93%) respectively. The estimated leukemia-free survival (LFS) for group I at 3 and 12 years is 60% (95% CI: 44–76%) and 47% (95% CI: 29–65%), for group II is 47% (95% CI: 17–77%) and 34% (95% CI: 4– 64%)and group III is 22% (95% CI: 6–38%) and 15% (95% CI: 1–29%) respectively. Remission stage was predictive of long-term LFS (P<0.001), with patients transplanted in first remission doing better than the rest. Older age was a risk factor for late failure (death or relapse beyond 3 years, P=0.05). Remission stage at transplant (p=0.44), chronic GVHD (P=0.08) and acute GVHD (P=0.12) were not significantly predictive of late failure. In conclusion a vast majority of patients alive and well at 3 years post transplant seem destined to be cured. A proportion of patients do fail beyond 3 years, but the remission stage of disease at transplant is not predictive of late failure.


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