Lumboperitoneal shunt for the treatment of pseudotumor cerebri.
We conducted a retrospective study of 27 patients with pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) treated with at least one lumboperitoneal shunt (LPS) to ascertain the efficacy of this treatment. The average duration of follow-up for this population was 77 months (median, 47 months), with a range of 21 to 278 months. A functioning LPS was successful in alleviating symptoms in all patients studied, and no patient with a functioning shunt complained of shunt-related symptoms, such as low-pressure headache or abdominal pain, within 2 months after the shunt was performed. Twelve patients (44%) required no revisions. The number of revisions among the 15 patients (56%) who required them ranged from 1 (5 patients) to 13 (1 patient). Three of these patients required 35 of the 66 total shunt revisions (53%). There were no major complications from LPS, other than failure of the shunt, even in patients who required multiple shunts. We conclude that placement of a lumboperitoneal shunt is satisfactory treatment for the majority of patients with PTC who require surgical therapy for the disorder, even though some patients ultimately require multiple shunt revisions.
Eggenberger
E R
ER
Neuro-Ophthalmology Unit, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA.
Miller
N R
NR
Vitale
S
S
D000328:Adult; D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000209:etiology; D010211:Papilledema / Q000209:etiology; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D011559:Pseudotumor Cerebri / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D012008:Recurrence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology