Endoscopic third ventriculostomy in infants.
BACKGROUND
Endoscopic third Ventriculostomy (ETV) is one of the surgical options for obstructive hydrocephalus. There are varying opinions about results of ETV in infants. We are therefore presenting the results of ETV in 54 infants.


METHODS
A prospective study of 54 infants undergoing ETV in our institution in the last 2 years was carried out. There were 48 cases of congenital hydrocephalus with aqueductal stenosis, 6 of post tubercular meningitis hydrocephalus. Average follow up was 18 months.


RESULTS
There was 83.3% (45 cases) clinical success rate in our study. Infection, persistent cerebro-spinal fluid (CSF) leak and bleeding occurred in 4 (8%) cases each while blockage of stoma was observed in 8 (14.8%) patients. Majority of ETV stoma closure (6 out of total 8) occurred following infection (4) or bleeding during surgery (2). One patient (2%) had transient diabetes insipidus. Overall failure rate in our study was 16.7% (8 stoma blocks and 1 procedure abandoned). Low birth weight pre mature infants had higher failure rate (3 out of 5 infants 60%) compared to full term infants with normal birth weight (12.3%). Age did not have any impact on the success rate (P>0.05). Success rates were not significanlty different in patients with aqueductal stenosis (85.4%) and TBM (66.6%) (Fisher's exact test, P=0.3).


CONCLUSIONS
ETV was fairly safe and effective in full term normal birth weight infants while the results in low birth weight pre mature infants were poor.
Yadav
Y R
YR
Neurosurgery Unit, NSCB Medical College, Jabalpur, MP, India. yadavyr@yahoo.co.in
Jaiswal
Sumeet
S
Adam
Nelson
N
Basoor
Abhijeet
A
Jain
Gaurav
G
D004724:Endoscopy / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000601:surgery; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D020542:Third Ventricle / Q000601:surgery*; D014390:Tuberculosis, Meningeal / Q000601:surgery; D014696:Ventriculostomy / Q000009:adverse effects