title: Is the success rate of endoscopic third ventriculostomy age-dependent? An analysis of the results of endoscopic third ventriculostomy in young children.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Different opinions exist in the literature about the effectiveness of endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) in the treatment of hydrocephalus in young children. Therefore we made a retrospective evaluation of our own success rates of performing ETVs in children less than 2 years of age.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a series of 275 ETVs 66 procedures were performed in children less than 2 years of age.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall success rate in this young age group was 53%, lower than the success rates of ETVs reported in literature (72-92%). But further analysis of these results and a comparison of the results in subgroups with different etiologies of the hydrocephalus showed that the success rates varied between 20 and 88%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We conclude that the success of ETV depends mainly on the etiology of the hydrocephalus and not on the age of the patient alone.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, University Medical Centre St. Radboud, P.O. Box 9101, 6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands. T.Beems@czzonch.azn.nl
authors.forename: Tjemme
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Beems
authors.forename: J Andre
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Grotenhuis
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D004724:Endoscopy / Q000379:methods / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000601:surgery*; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014696:Ventriculostomy / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data