OBJECTIVE: Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) has been shown to be a sufficient alternative in the surgical treatment of hydrocephalus. Our goal in this retrospective study is to analyze our results with the use of ETV in our first 30 cases that it may provide us with selection criteria as to who among our patients will benefit most from this procedure.
METHODOLOGY: Thirty ETVs were performed in 30 patients. Their ages ranged from 2-155 months. Hydrocephalus was caused by aqueductal stenosis in 17 patients, tumors in 7, post-infectious in 3, Dandy-Walker malformation in 2 and arachnoid cyst in 1 patient. The outcome of ETV was evaluated in 26 of the cases that were available for follow-up
RESULTS: The overall success rate was 69.2 percent. Patients with non-communicating hydrocephalus from post-infectious causes, tumors and aqueductal stenosis had high success rates. Patients less than 6 months of age had a poor outcome. Complications included ventriculitis in 1 patient
CONCLUSION: ETV is a viable treatment option for non-communicating hydrocephalus secondary to post-infectious cause, aqueductal stenosis and tumors. A successful outcome is more likely if ETV is done in patients more than 6 months of age Patients who have previously undergone shunting and who have non-communicating hydrocephalus should undergo ETV at the time of shunt failure. These patients showed good outcome.