Transesophageal echocardiography: a simple method for monitoring the patency of ventriculoatrial shunts. Technical note.
A new method for evaluating the patency of a ventriculoatrial shunt is described, and early experience with it is reported. Transesophageal echocardiography can demonstrate a cerebrospinal fluid leak in the right atrium through the atrial tip of a shunting device. This capability was an incidental discovery, and since then the accuracy of the technique in evaluating the patency of a ventriculoatrial shunt has been prospectively studied in 20 observations of 16 patients. The method proved to be accurate in 90% to 100% of cases. It is concluded that transesophageal echocardiography offers a rapid and accurate assessment of ventriculoatrial shunt function, is well tolerated, and is easy to perform.
Calliauw
L
L
Department of Neurosurgery, University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium.
Vandenbogaerde
J
J
Kalala
O
O
Caemaert
J
J
Martens
F
F
Vandekerckhove
T
T
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000601:surgery; D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts; D003388:Cranial Fossa, Posterior; D004452:Echocardiography / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000379:methods; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013595:Syringomyelia / Q000601:surgery