Central nervous system reactions to ventriculojugular shunts.
The response of the central nervous system (CNS) to ventricular shunts was examined in 19 patients and was found to be similar to the response observed experimentally in animals and in the cases of wound repair in humans. The major finding was the presence of a fibrous capsule surrounding 7 or 12 shunts in place for longer than 2 months. The CNS results differ from those observed in soft tissue responses by the inconstancy of the fibroblastic reaction. The formation of the envelope, when present, is related to hemorrhage secondary to insertion, with no relationship to the duration of shunt use. The ability of tumor cells to spread along the shunt path reflects the weak adhesion between the neural elements and the shunt.
D000293:Adolescent; D000368:Aged; D001166:Arteriovenous Shunt, Surgical; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013997:Time Factors