title: Role of cerebrospinal fluid diversion in posterior fossa tumor surgery.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the role of cerebrospinal fluid diversion in posterior fossa tumor surgery.
  
  
  METHODS
  Descriptive study.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study was conducted at the Department of Neurosurgery, Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS), Islamabad from February 2000 to July 2002 over a period of two and-a-half years.
  
  
  METHODS
  Clinical, radiological and operative records of the patients who were operated for posterior fossa tumors were studied. Absolute and relative frequencies of the patients who were managed with external ventricular drainage (EVD) or ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) were determined. Mean age and male to female ratio were also noted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 48 patients who were operated for posterior fossa tumors. Mean age was 23 years. Male to female ratio was 1.2:1. VPS was done in 14 patients (29%) pre-operatively, in one patient (2%) per-operatively and in 2 patients (4%) postoperatively. EVD was done in 33 patients out of whom 2 patients were shunted post-operatively. Sixty-five percent of the patients remained shunt-free.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although management of hydrocephalus secondary to posterior fossa tumors is controversial, majority of the patients need temporary cerebrospinal fluid diversion
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Pakistan Institute of Medical Science, Islamabad. e_ghani75@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Ehtesham
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ghani
authors.forename: Ghalib Imam
authors.initials: GI
authors.lastname: Zaidi
authors.forename: Muhammad
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nadeem
authors.forename: Lal
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Rehman
authors.forename: Muhammad Ali
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Noman
authors.lastname: Khaleeq-Uz-Zaman
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000209:etiology / Q000601:surgery*; D015192:Infratentorial Neoplasms / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D009380:Neoplasms, Nerve Tissue / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*