title: Oscillations of cerebrospinal fluid pressure in nonhydrocephalic persons.
abstract: Spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure oscillations with a wavelength of 0.5-2/min (B-waves) are used as a criterion for shunt insertion in hydrocephalic patients. We describe CSF pressure oscillations in two nonhydrocephalic patients with normal baseline CSF pressure. Intracranial pressure was recorded via a ventricular drainage in a 54-year-old male who had a lumber CSF leak after surgery for lumbar spinal stenosis and disc herniation after the leak was closed. In the second patient, a 42-year-old male, CSF pressure was monitored via a lumbar drainage which was placed for treatment of a subcutaneous CSF effusion after resection of a recurrent temporal meningioma. CSF pressure oscillations of a wavelength of 0.5-2/min were observed with a relative frequency of 50% (patient 1) and 60% (patient 2) of the recorded time. Also longer waves were observed. Our data suggest that CSF pressure oscillations are not confined to hydrocephalic patients with raised intracranial pressure.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: D W
authors.initials: DW
authors.lastname: Droste
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Krauss
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D015170:Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000503:physiopathology; D007427:Intracranial Pressure; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D008297:Male; D008577:Meningeal Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D008579:Meningioma / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D008875:Middle Aged; D009991:Oscillometry; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012016:Reference Values; D013130:Spinal Stenosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D013702:Temporal Lobe