title: [The clinical value of B waves in the cerebrospinal fluid pressure curve during the lumbar infusion test of patients with hydrocephalus].
abstract: There are still many problems in the selection of hydrocephalic patients for the shunt treatment. Many investigations focus to find out a new and reliable prognostic factors including the parameters of lumbar infusion test (LIT). The aim of this study is to evaluate the B waves observed during the LIT, and to assess the prognostic value of the B waves in hydrocephalic patients. 153 patients with communicating hydrocephalus (ventricular index > or = 0.8) were assessed by means of the LIT. B waves were detected in 70 patients (45.8%). Primary assessment was verified by the Fourier analysis. The relationship was analysed between B waves and the resistance to outflow (R), new steady state pressure (Pns) and the standard deviation of the Pns (SDPns). The results of treatment depending on the presence of B waves were assessed in 95 shunted patients (two categories: improved/not improved). Statistical analysis was performed using Statistically 5.1 for Windows. Chi square test, Mann Whitney U-test, and the Student T test were applied (p < 0.05). There was statistically significant relationship between B waves and the increasing values of R (p = 0.0002), Pns (p = 0.0002) and SDPns (p = 0.0000). Positive prognostic value of the B waves was found in the group of 95 shunted patients (p = 0.0152). 1. B waves during LIT appear significantly more often in patients with increasing compensation impairment. 2. B waves detected in LIT have a good prognostic value in hydro-cephalic patients.
authors.affiliation: Kliniki Neurochirurgii Collegium Medicum, Uniwersytetu Jagiellońskiego, Kierownik Kliniki.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Czepko
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D015170:Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure; D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005260:Female; D005583:Fourier Analysis; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D008365:Manometry / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D018579:Patient Selection; D011300:Preoperative Care; D011379:Prognosis; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric