Cerebrospinal fluid hydrodynamics after placement of a shunt with an antisiphon device: a long-term study

2001 ◽  
Vol 94 (5) ◽  
pp. 750-756 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bo Lundkvist ◽  
Anders Eklund ◽  
Bo Kristensen ◽  
Markku Fagerlund ◽  
Lars-Owe D. Koskinen ◽  
...  

Object. Few studies have been performed to investigate the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) hydrodynamic profile in patients with idiopathic adult hydrocephalus syndrome (IAHS) before and after shunt implantation. The authors compared the in vivo CSF hydrodynamic properties, including the degree of gravity-induced CSF flow, of a shunt with an antisiphon device with a standard shunt. Methods. Twelve patients with IAHS underwent insertion of shunts with Delta valves. Clinical testing, magnetic resonance imaging, and CSF hydrodynamic investigations were conducted with intracranial pressure (ICP), gravity effect, and pressure—flow curve of the shunt estimated at baseline and at 3 and 12 months postoperatively. No shunt was revised. Despite postoperative clinical improvement in all patients who received Delta valves, the mean ICP was only moderately reduced (mean decrease at 3 months 0.3 kPa [p = 0.02], at 12 months 0.2 kPa [not significant]). Patients with the greatest increase in ICP preoperatively had the most pronounced decrease postoperatively. The hydrostatic effect of the Delta valves was significantly lower than with the Hakim shunts (0.1–0.2 kPa compared with 0.6 kPa). The increased conductance (that is, lowered resistance) was up to 14 times higher with the Delta valves compared with preoperative levels. Conclusions. The function of a CSF shunt may be more complicated than previously thought; the subcutaneous pressure acting on the antisiphon device can modify the shunt characteristics. A compensatory increase in CSF production may counteract the increased outflow through the shunt. The improved CSF outflow conductance may increase the intracranial compliance and thereby dampen a pathological ICP waveform.

1981 ◽  
Vol 55 (6) ◽  
pp. 935-937 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Salar ◽  
Salvatore Mingrino ◽  
Marco Trabucchi ◽  
Angelo Bosio ◽  
Carlo Semenza

✓ The β-endorphin content in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was evaluated in 10 patients with idiopathic trigeminal neuralgia during medical treatment (with or without carbamazepine) and after selective thermocoagulation of the Gasserian ganglion. These values were compared with those obtained in a control group of seven patients without pain problems. No statistically significant difference was found between patients suffering from trigeminal neuralgia and those without pain. Furthermore, neither pharmacological treatment nor surgery changed CSF endorphin values. It is concluded that there is no pathogenetic relationship between trigeminal neuralgia and endorphins.


1973 ◽  
Vol 38 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darwin J. Ferry ◽  
Ronald Gooding ◽  
Jim C. Standefer ◽  
G. Michael Wiese

✓ Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) changes induced by Pantopaque myelography were determined by comparing samples of CSF from 47 patients with disc symptoms, obtained before and after myelography. Cell count, total protein, colloidal gold curve, and CSF protein electrophoretic patterns were compared. An immediate and persistent modest lymphocytosis was found. Total protein and CSF gamma globulin were elevated 3 weeks after myelography and throughout the remainder of the 80-day study period. This CSF profile characterizes a chronic inflammatory reaction induced by Pantopaque.


1984 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 348-350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Fenstermaker ◽  
Uros Roessmann ◽  
Harold L. Rekate

✓ The radiographic features and long-term clinical outcome in three patients who presented at birth with a cystic suboccipital mass in direct communication with the fourth ventricle are reviewed. The pathological findings in a fourth infant who died are also discussed. All surviving infants were treated with cyst excision and diversion of cerebrospinal fluid. The prognosis in these children, followed from 6 to 20 years, surpasses that of the more common occipital encephalocele, for which this entity could be mistaken. The morphogenetic implications relative to more common congenital lesions in this location are discussed.


2003 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 578-583 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Tomes ◽  
Leslie C. Hellbusch ◽  
L. Russell Alberts

Object. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt system malfunction due to silastic tubing fracture necessitates revision surgery in shunt-dependent individuals. The goal of this study was to examine the mechanical stretching and breaking characteristics of new and used CSF shunt tubing catheters to determine if any inherent physical properties predispose the tubing to fracture. Methods. Fifty-millimeter segments of new and retrieved (used) CSF shunt tubing were stretched to 120 mm in a hydraulic press to determine modulus values (modulus = stress/strain) and to measure permanent tubing deformation imparted by the applied stress and strain. Similar 50-mm tubing segments were also stretched in an electromechanical material testing system until fracture occurred; the force and strain needed to break the tubing was recorded at the time of failure. The results demonstrate that shunt tubing with a greater cross-sectional area requires greater force to fracture, and that catheters become weaker the longer they are implanted. Barium-impregnated shunt tubing, compared with translucent tubing, appears to require less applied stress and strain to break and may fracture more easily in vivo. The variety of modulus values obtained for the new catheters tested indicates that the various companies may be using materials of different quality in tubing manufacture. Conclusions. A CSF shunt catheter design that incorporates tubing with a greater cross-sectional area may lead to fewer fractures of indwelling catheters and a reduction in shunt revision surgery.


2003 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 561-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yoshifumi Kawanabe ◽  
Tomoh Masaki ◽  
Nobuo Hashimoto

Object. The Ca++ influx into vascular smooth-muscle cells (VSMCs) plays a fundamental role in the development and chronic effects of vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). The Ca++-permeable nonselective cation channels (NSCCs) are activated by several endothelium-derived constricting factors such as endothelin 1 (ET-1) and thromboxane A2. Moreover, the receptor-operated Ca++ channel blocker LOE 908 inhibits ET-1—induced extracellular Ca++ influx via NSCCs in the VSMCs of the basilar artery (BA) and the NSCC-dependent part of ET-1—induced vasoconstriction of BA rings. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the in vivo role of LOE 908 on SAH-induced vasospasm. Methods. Forty-two Japanese white rabbits were assigned to seven groups. Treatment groups consisted of the following: 1) control rabbits without SAH that received a cisternal injection of saline; 2) rabbits with SAH that were subjected to the intravenous administration of saline; 3 through 6) rabbits with SAH that underwent the intravenous administration of 0.01, 0.1, 1, or 10 mg/kg LOE 908, respectively; and 7) rabbits without SAH that underwent the intravenous administration of 10 mg/kg LOE 908. Autologous blood was injected into the cisterna magna. The caliber of the BA was measured on angiographic studies before and after the cisternal injection of autologous blood. The intravenous injection of LOE 908 inhibited the magnitude of an SAH-induced vasosapsm. In addition, the concentration of LOE 908 required to relax vasospasm (1 mg/kg) correlated with that required to block Ca++ influx into VSMCs. Conclusions. The Ca++ channel blocker LOE 908 may inhibit the magnitude of an SAH-induced vasospasm by blocking the influx of Ca++ through NSCCs in rabbit BAs. Blocking the NSCCs may represent a new treatment for cerebral vasospasm after SAH.


1971 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 38-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alfonso Schettini ◽  
Lachlan McKay ◽  
Raymond Majors ◽  
Joseph Mahig ◽  
Arnold H. Nevis

✓ A method for monitoring brain surface pressure through the intact dura has been designed based upon the concept of a coplanar, non-sensitive ring transducer. The transducer detects the underlying brain pressure while the stretching forces of the dural membrane are dissipated at the outer ring. The strain gauge consists of a piezo-resistive silicon-chip sensing element and a dummy element that provides temperature compensation. Cisternal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and brain surface pressures were monitored simultaneously in dogs under general anesthesia, both before and after increased intracranial pressure was produced experimentally. A difference was found between CSF and brain surface pressures. Possible explanations for this observation are discussed.


2004 ◽  
Vol 101 (4) ◽  
pp. 627-632 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Mcgirt ◽  
Graeme Woodworth ◽  
George Thomas ◽  
Neil Miller ◽  
Michael Williams ◽  
...  

Object. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunts effectively reverse symptoms of pseudotumor cerebri postoperatively, but long-term outcome has not been investigated. Lumboperitoneal (LP) shunts are the mainstay of CSF shunts for pseudotumor cerebri; however, image-guided stereotaxy and neuroendoscopy now allow effective placement of a ventricular catheter without causing ventriculomegaly in these cases. To date it remains unknown if CSF shunts provide long-term relief from pseudotumor cerebri and whether a ventricular shunt is better than an LP shunt. The authors investigated these possibilities. Methods. The authors reviewed the records of all shunt placement procedures that were performed for intractable headache due to pseudotumor cerebri at one institution between 1973 and 2003. Using proportional hazards regression analysis, predictors of treatment failure (continued headache despite a properly functioning shunt) were assessed, and shunt revision and complication rates were compared between LP and ventricular (ventriculoperitoneal [VP] or ventriculoatrial [VAT]) shunts. Forty-two patients underwent 115 shunt placement procedures: 79 in which an LP shunt was used and 36 in which a VP or VAT shunt was used. Forty patients (95%) experienced a significant improvement in their headaches immediately after the shunt was inserted. Severe headache recurred despite a properly functioning shunt in eight (19%) and 20 (48%) patients by 12 and 36 months, respectively, after the initial shunt placement surgery. Seventeen patients without papilledema and 19 patients in whom preoperative symptoms had occurred for longer than 2 years experienced recurrent headache, making patients with papilledema or long-term symptoms fivefold (relative risk [RR] 5.2, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.5–17.8; p < 0.01) or 2.5-fold (RR 2.51, 95% CI 1.01–9.39; p = 0.05) more likely to experience headache recurrence, respectively. In contrast to VP or VAT shunts, LP shunts were associated with a 2.5-fold increased risk of shunt revision (RR 2.5, 95% CI 1.5–4.3; p < 0.001) due to a threefold increased risk of shunt obstruction (RR 3, 95% CI 1.5–5.7; p < 0.005), but there were similar risks between the two types of shunts for overdrainage (RR 2.3, 95% CI 0.8–7.9; p = 0.22), distal catheter migration (RR 2.1, 95% CI 0.3–19.3; p = 0.55), and shunt infection (RR 1.3, 95% CI 0.3–13.2; p = 0.75). Conclusions. Based on their 30-year experience in the treatment of these patients, the authors found that CSF shunts were extremely effective in the acute treatment of pseudotumor cerebri—associated intractable headache, providing long-term relief in the majority of patients. Lack of papilledema and long-standing symptoms were risk factors for treatment failure. The use of ventricular shunts for pseudotumor cerebri was associated with a lower risk of shunt obstruction and revision than the use of LP shunts. Using ventricular shunts in patients with papilledema or symptoms lasting less than 2 years should be considered for those with pseudotumor cerebri—associated intractable headache.


1981 ◽  
Vol 54 (5) ◽  
pp. 699-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toru Hayakawa ◽  
Kiyoo Kamikawa ◽  
Toshiteru Ohnishi ◽  
Toshiki Yoshimine

✓ The authors describe the techniques employed in three patients with basilar artery aneurysms that were treated via the transoral transclival approach. To prevent the formation of cerebrospinal fluid fistulas and the risk of consequent meningitis, complete postoperative closure of the nasopharyngeal mucosa is essential. Long-term nasopharyngeal packing and continuous spinal drainage were found to be effective in these cases.


1997 ◽  
Vol 87 (5) ◽  
pp. 738-745 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kaoru Sakatani ◽  
Masaki Kashiwasake-Jibu ◽  
Yoshinori Taka ◽  
Shijie Wang ◽  
Huancong Zuo ◽  
...  

✓ The authors have developed a noninvasive optical method to image the subarachnoid space and cerebrospinal fluid pathways in vivo based on the near-infrared fluorescence of indocyanine green (ICG). The ICG was bound to purified lipoproteins (ICG—lipoprotein) and injected into the subarachnoid space of neonatal and adult rats. The ICG fluorescence was detected by a cooled charge-coupled device camera. After injection of ICG—lipoprotein into the cerebral subarachnoid space of the neonatal rat, ICG fluorescence was clearly detected at the injection site through the skull and skin. The ICG fluorescence was observed in the cerebellum and the lumbar spinal cord 1 and 8 hours postinjection, respectively. After injection of ICG—lipoprotein into the lumbar spinal subarachnoid space of an adult rat, ICG fluorescence was observed from the injection site to the thoracic levels along the spinal subarachnoid space. In addition, with the rat's head tilted downward, ICG fluorescence had extended to the cerebral subarachnoid space by 1 hour postinjection. The ICG fluorescence imaging of the cerebral subarachnoid space demonstrated an increase in fluorescence intensity around the lambdoid suture and the forebrain. On dissection of the rat brain the former location was identified as the supracerebellar cistern and the latter as the olfactory cistern. The results of this study are the first to demonstrate that an optical technique is applicable to imaging of the subarachnoid space and cerebrospinal fluid pathways in vivo. In addition, ICG—lipoprotein provides a sensitive optical tracer for imaging extravascular biological structures. Finally, ICG fluorescence imaging does not require an intricate imaging system because ICG is localized near the surface of the body.


2004 ◽  
Vol 101 (6) ◽  
pp. 944-950 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niklas Lenfeldt ◽  
Nina Andersson ◽  
Aina Ågren-Wilsson ◽  
A. Tommy Bergenheim ◽  
Lars-Owe D. Koskinen ◽  
...  

Object. The appearance of numerous B waves during intracranial pressure (ICP) registration in patients with idiopathic adult hydrocephalus syndrome (IAHS) is considered to predict good outcome after shunt surgery. The aim of this study was to describe which physical parameters of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) system B-waves reflect and to find a method that could replace long-term B-wave analysis. Methods. Ten patients with IAHS were subjected to long-term registration of ICP and a lumbar constant-pressure infusion test. The B-wave presence, CSF outflow resistance (Rout), and relative pulse pressure coefficient (RPPC) were assessed using computerized analysis. The RPPC was introduced as a parameter reflecting the joint effect of elastance and pulsatory volume changes on ICP and was determined by relating ICP pulse amplitudes to mean ICP. Conclusions. The B-wave presence on ICP registration correlates strongly with RPPC (r = 0.91, p < 0.001, 10 patients) but not with CSF Rout. This correlation indicates that B waves—like RPPC—primarily reflect the ability of the CSF system to reallocate and store liquid rather than absorb it. The RPPC-assessing lumbar short-term CSF pulse pressure method could replace the intracranial long-term B-wave analysis.


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