OBJECTIVES: To study the effect of surgical treatment on prognosis in preterm infants with obstructive hydrocephalus. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 49 preterm infants with obstructive hydrocephalus. According to the treatment regimen, they were divided into two groups: surgical treatment ( RESULTS: Among the 49 preterm infants with obstructive hydrocephalus, severe intracranial hemorrhage (37 cases; 76%) and central nervous system infection (10 cases, 20%) were the main causes of hydrocephalus. There was no significant difference in the composition of etiology between the two groups ( CONCLUSIONS Surgical treatment can improve the survival rate of preterm infants with obstructive hydrocephalus and the prognosis of preterm infants with severe intracranial hemorrhage.
Cerebral Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus/surgery* ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome

Background: Decision-making concerning the treatment of choroid plexus tumor (CPT) in pediatric patients remains a topic of considerable debate. The aim of this work was to describe clinical features and prognostic risk factors of CPT in the pediatric population and to provide theoretical opinions regarding clinical decisions for CPT. Methods: The data of 96 patients with CPT and younger than 14 years were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical characteristics such as pathological type of CPTs, rate and severity of hydrocephalus, treatment and outcome, and recurrence were investigated. For categorical variables, the Pearson's Chi-square test was performed. The Mann-Whitney U-test was used for comparisons between nonnormally distributed parameters. Log-rank test was used for progression-free survival (PFS). Results: The study included 70 choroid plexus papilloma (CPP) cases, 17 atypical choroid plexus papilloma (aCPP) cases, and 9 choroid plexus carcinoma (CPC) cases. Compared with patients with CPP or aCPP, patients with CPC had a shorter disease course (median: CPP, 4 months; aCPP, 2 months; CPC, 1 month; H: 23.5, P < 0.001), higher rate of acute hydrocephalus (CPP, 27.1%; aCPP, 52.9%; CPC, 77.8%; χ = 10.9, P < 0.05), and lower incidence of cure rate (CPP, 85.7%; aCPP, 70.5%; CPC, 33.3%; χ = 13.5, P < 0.05). The severity of hydrocephalus with tumor in the lateral or third ventricle was significantly higher than that with tumors in the fourth ventricle (severe hydrocephalus: lateral ventricle, 51.7%; third ventricle, 47.0%; fourth ventricle, 11.1%; χ = 26.0, P < 0.001). Patients with gross total surgical resection had no better PFS than those with partial resection because of the use of adjuvant therapy in the latter (χ = 4.0, P > 0.05). Patients with CPC experienced shorter time for recurrence than those with CPP or aCPP (χ = 40.1, P < 0.0001). Conclusions Our results indicated that CPP in the fourth ventricle could trigger serious clinical symptoms at an early stage, requiring early intervention. Adjuvant treatment might be necessary for patients with partially resected CPP, aCPP, and CPC to achieve a favorable outcome.
Child ; Child, Preschool ; Choroid Plexus Neoplasms ; mortality ; pathology ; surgery ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; etiology ; Infant ; Male ; Neoplasm Metastasis ; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local ; Prognosis ; Risk Factors

OBJECTIVETo summarize the clinical efficacy of ventriculo-peritoneal shunt (VPS) assisted by neuroendoscopy and laparoscopy for treatment of communicating hydrocephalus.

METHODSFrom January 2010 to January 2014, 209 cases (male 93, female 116) who suffered communicating hydrocephalus performed VPS with neuroendoscopy and laparoscopy in Department of Neurosurgery of People's Liberation Army General Hospital. The age of the patients were from 7 months to 79 years (mean 38.1 years), average duration were 20 days to 4 years (mean (2.4 ± 0.7) months). Neuroendoscopy and laparoscopy were used to help respectively to place shunt catheter to better position, both in the ventricle and peritoneal cavity. The effect of subsequent shunt system survival was analyzed with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis.

RESULTSThere were 209 patients received 255 times of VPS. All operations were successfully completed. No craniotomy or open operation were needed for technical-related complications. Forty-six revisions were performed in all patients. After the operation, 203 patients with hydrocephalus improved at different level after surgery. Thirteen cases occurred intracranial hypotension syndrome and improved after the pressure adjusted. All patients were followed up for 1 month to 4 years, with a median follow-up time of 2.1 years, while the shunt system efficiencies were 91.0%, 86.7%, 83.9% and 82.0% respectively from the end of the 1st year to the end of the 4th year.

CONCLUSIONSFor VPS, neuroendoscopy and laparoscopy can respectively help to place shunt catheter to better position, both in the ventricle and peritoneal cavity. Hence, the combination of these two modalities can reduce the failure rate of shunt catheter insertion and has significant impact on shunt system survival.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Catheters ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; surgery ; Infant ; Laparoscopes ; Laparoscopy ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neuroendoscopes ; Neurosurgical Procedures ; Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of magnetic resonance three dimensional sampling perfection with application optimized contrasts using different flip angle evolution (3D-SPACE) sequences in diagnosis and surgical strategy modification for obstructive hydrocephalus.

METHODSFrom March 2013 to July 2014, there were 152 cases admitted in People's Liberation Army General Hospital suffered from hydrocephalus, including 88 male patients and 64 female patients aging from 8 months to 79 years. All patients were performed magnetic resonance T2WI and 3D-SPACE sequence scanning before operation. Surgical strategy was made after evaluation of 3D-SPACE sequence. Non-communicating hydrocephalus was treated with endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) and communicating hydrocephalus was treated with ventriculo-peritoneal shunt. According to MR images of direct observation to site of obstruction to determine the detection rate. MRI 3D-SPACE and cranial CT examination were performed in regular follow-up studies.

RESULTSThe relevance ratio of 3D-SPACE for the diagnosis of non-communicating hydrocephalus was 98.3% (114/116), while the relevance ratio of conventional T2-weighted MRI was 72.4% (84/116). Among the 152 patients, there were 36 cases with cerebral aqueduct film obstruction, 22 cases with space-occupying lesions in pineal region, posterior part of the third ventricle, or space-occupying lesions in quadrigeminal bodies area, 10 cases with Dandy-Walker symptom, 18 cases with cyst of the anterior pool of the bridge, 16 cases with cysticercosis, 4 cases with cyst of lateral ventricle, 2 cases with cyst of fourth ventricle, 2 cases with space-occupying lesion in foramen ofmonro, 2 cases with foramen ofmonro atresia, 4 cases with craniopharyngioma, 36 cases with communicating hydrocephalus. There were 112 hydrocephalus cases (73.7%) were treated with ETV, without shunt catheter insertion in follow-up study from 1 to 18 months (average (14±9) months).

CONCLUSIONSFor obstructive hydrocephalus, MRI 3D-SPACE sequence image has high diagnostic yield rate for providing more detailed anatomical information than conventional MRI. Hence, the advanced imaging methods are helpful for surgical treatment strategy decision making.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Aged ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Craniopharyngioma ; pathology ; Cysts ; pathology ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; diagnosis ; surgery ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Infant ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pineal Gland ; pathology ; Third Ventricle ; Ventriculostomy ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo investigate risk factors for the occurrence of shunt-dependent hydrocephalus in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH).

METHODSA cohort of 136 consecutive patients who were treated for ruptured aneurysms within 72 h after onset of aSAH from January 2011 to January 2013 were retrospectively analyzed. Lumbar drainage was performed during the surgery in all patients. The risk factors of shunt-dependent hydrocephalus were analyzed.

RESULTSOf 136 patients, 23 (16.91%) underwent shunt operation to treat shunt-dependent hydrocephalus. Univariate analysis showed that Hunt-Hess grade at admission (P<0.01), Fisher grade (P<0.01), the presence of intraventricular hemorrhage (P<0.01), location of ruptured aneurysm (P=0.001), and the average daily volume of cerebrospinal fluid drainage (CSF) (P=0.047) were associated with shunt-dependent hydrocephalus.

CONCLUSIONThe aSAH patients with poor Hunt-Hess grade at admission, high Fisher grade, the presence of intraventricular hemorrhage, ruptured aneurysm in posterior circulation, and abnormal average daily volume of CSF are more likely to develop shunt-depended hydrocephalus.

Adult ; Aged ; Aneurysm, Ruptured ; complications ; Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical ; adverse effects ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; etiology ; prevention & control ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; complications ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage ; etiology ; surgery

OBJECTIVETo evaluate and explore the optimal surgical strategy for the normalized treatment of pineal region tumors.

METHODSFrom September 2007 to February 2012, 43 patients were treated in Chinese People's Liberation Army General Hospital, including 30 male and 14 female patients, with pineal region tumors and non-communicating hydrocephalus were enrolled, who were 1-52 years old, mean age was (27 ± 4) years. The clinical records, treatment strategy, and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed. All the patients routinely underwent endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) and tumor biopsy as the initial treatment. Twenty-seven cases (62.8%, pure endoscopic group) with histological diagnosis of germinoma (23 cases) or pineoblastoma (4 cases) were treated with chemotherapy with/without radiation therapy after ETV. The rest 16 cases (37.2%, craniotomy group) with histological diagnosis of non-germinoma and non-pineoblastoma (5 astrocytomas, 4 pineocytomas, 4 teratomas, 2 ependymomas, and 1 pineopappiloma) had craniotomy and tumor resection after ETV. All the cases had routine follow-up at 1, 3, and 6 months after the final surgery. The clinical, imaging, and tumor markers analysis were routinely examined at follow-up.

RESULTSIn the pure endoscopic group, 1 case had intra-ventricular hemorrhage after ETV, followed by external ventricular drainage and recovered after 1 week. Endoscopic procedure related short-term ( < 3 months) complication rate was 2.3% (1/43), while long-term morbidity was 0. All cases in the pure endoscopic group had chemotherapy with/without radiation therapy. Long-term follow-up results showed that all cases were cured or had progression free survival (PFS). In the craniotomy group, 2 cases (2/16) developed intra-cranial hemorrhage after surgery, and had to be operated again for hematoma evacuation. In the craniotomy group, the short-term ( < 3 months) morbidity rate was 6/16. At 3 months follow-up, 1 case still had homonymous hemianopia, which made the long-term morbidity rate was 1/16.

CONCLUSIONSFor pineal region tumors with non-communicating hydrocephalus, simultaneous ETV with tumor biopsy can be the most favorable initial diagnostic and therapeutic treatment. Second-stage treatment (chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or craniotomy with tumor resection) can be selected according to the histological diagnosis.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Brain Neoplasms ; surgery ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; pathology ; Infant ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Pineal Gland ; Pinealoma ; surgery ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Ventriculostomy ; Young Adult

OBJECTIVETo observe the therapeutic effect of Ommaya reservoir implantation on hydrocephalus in premature infants following intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and to investigate factors influencing the therapeutic effect.

METHODSAn ambispective cohort study was conducted on the clinical and follow-up data of 20 premature infants (gestational age <32 weeks, birth weight <1500 g) who received Ommaya reservoir implantation because of hydrocephalus following IVH. The therapeutic effect of Ommaya reservoir implantation was observed. These patients were divided into cure and treatment failure groups according to their treatment outcomes. The factors influencing therapeutic effects were investigated by univariate analysis.

RESULTSHydrocephalus was relieved significantly at 30 days after Ommaya reservoir implantation. However, some patients showed significantly decreased therapeutic effects since 3 months after operation: during 3-6 months after operation, 7 cases underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt, 4 cases discontinued treatment because of economic reasons, and 1 case underwent endoscopic third ventriculostomy due to scalp hematoma with skin necrosis. The ventricles of the remaining 8 cases returned to normal size at 12-18 months after operation. As for postoperative complications, secondary IVH was seen in 8 cases, intracranial infection in 2 cases, and scalp hematoma with skin necrosis in 1 case. The univariate analysis revealed significant differences in gestational age, birth weight and duration of hydrocephalus before Ommaya reservoir implantation between the cure and the treatment failure groups (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONSOmmaya reservoir implantation has a remarkable short-term therapeutic effect on hydrocephalus in premature infants following IVH, but later the effect decreases in some patients. Low gestational age, low birth weight and long duration of hydrocephalus may be the main factors influencing therapeutic effects of Ommaya reservoir implantation.

Cerebral Hemorrhage ; complications ; Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts ; instrumentation ; Cohort Studies ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; surgery ; Infant, Newborn ; Infant, Premature ; Male

OBJECTIVETo explore the management of obstructive hydrocephalus caused by posterior fossa tumors before tumor resection in children.

METHODSThe clinical data were reviewed of 162 pediatric patients of posterior fossa tumors with obstructive hydrocephalus undergoing surgical tumor removal between January 2008 and June 2012. Ninety children received preoperative Ommaya external drainage (group A) and 72 underwent preoperative ventriculo-peritoneal shunting (V-Ps) (group B). The therapeutic effects were evaluated and compared between the two groups.

RESULTSPostoperative complications found in a total of 67 cases including infection (27), shunt blockage (19), subdural hematoma or effusion (16), ventricle fissure syndrome (5), and tumor hernia (4). Significant differences were found in the incidences of shunt blockage (P=0.047) and subdural hematoma or effusion (P=0.039) but not in the incidences of intracranial infection (P=0.478) or tumor hernia (P=0.462) between the two groups.

CONCLUSIONOmmaya reservoir can produce good results through simple surgical procedures for treatment of acute hydrocephalus in children with posterior fossa tumors and is associated less trauma and complications.

Adolescent ; Astrocytoma ; complications ; surgery ; Brain Diseases ; etiology ; Child ; Child, Preschool ; Drainage ; adverse effects ; methods ; Female ; Hematoma, Subdural ; etiology ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; etiology ; surgery ; Infant ; Infection ; etiology ; Infratentorial Neoplasms ; complications ; surgery ; Male ; Medulloblastoma ; complications ; surgery ; Preoperative Period ; Retrospective Studies ; Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt ; adverse effects

Hamartoma ; complications ; surgery ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; etiology ; Hypothalamic Diseases ; complications ; surgery ; Infant ; Male ; Postoperative Complications ; etiology ; Puberty, Precocious ; etiology ; Subdural Effusion ; etiology

OBJECTIVEThe management of secondary normal pressure hydrocephalus (sNPH) is controversial. Many factors may affect the surgery effect. The purpose of this study was to identify the possible factors influencing prognosis and provide theoretical basis for clinical treatment of sNPH.

METHODSA retrospective study was carried out to investigate the results of 31 patients with sNPH who underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery from January 2007 to December 2011. We processed the potential influencing factors by univariate analysis and the result further by multivariate logistic regression analysis.

RESULTSFactors including age, disease duration and Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score before surgery significantly influenced the prognosis of sNPH (P less than 0.05). Further logistic regression analysis showed that all the three factors are independent influencing factors.

CONCLUSIONAge, disease duration and GCS score before surgery have positive predictive value in estimating favorable response to surgical treatment for sNPH.

Adult ; Female ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus, Normal Pressure ; surgery ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Treatment Outcome ; Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt