title: Prognostic significance of third ventricle dilation in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage: a preliminary clinical study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Although numerous factors have been described that predict outcome after spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), very little is know about the role of hemorrhagic dilation of the third ventricle in development of hydrocephalus and prognosis. The objective of this study was to investigate whether the presence of hemorrhagic third ventricle dilation after ICH would predict development of hydrocephalus and outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  We identified the patients with spontaneous ICH treated with external ventricular drainage (EVD) in this retrospective study. Computerized tomography (CT) was performed at admission within 24 hours of onset and retrospectively analysed to determine lesion size and location, status of third and fourth ventricle and frontal horn index (FHI). Glasgow coma scale (GCS) score, mean arterial pressure (MAP), etiology and demographic data were obtained from medical records. Outcome was determined using modified Rankin score at month 3. Patients with and without third ventricle dilation were compared in terms of hydrocephalus (FHI > 0.38), initial GCS score, age and MAP, and analyses were performed to determine whether third ventricle dilation was a predictor of poor outcome.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 22 patients studied, all had thalamic or basal ganglia hemorrhage with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) and all are treated with external ventricular drainage (EVD). Of the 22 patients, 12 had third ventricle dilation (width > or = 10 mm) and ten patients had non-dilated third ventricle (width < 10 mm). Patients with third ventricle dilation had lower GCS scores (7.4 +/- 1.8 versus 9.7 +/- 2.1, p < 0.005) and had higher FHI (0.46 +/- 0.06 versus 0.38 +/- 0.02, p < 0.005) as compared to patients with non-dilated third ventricle. The differences in age (59.5 +/- 9.4 versus 59.2 +/- 11.2) and MAP (128.3 +/- 16.0 versus 130.5 +/- 13.6) of the patients were not significant statistically. Sixty-six percent of patients (8/12) with third ventricle dilation and 60% of patients (6/10) with normal third ventricle were dead 6 months post-operation and mortality rate did not differ significantly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the roles of various factors are well described in the prognosis of spontaneous ICH, little is known about the role of third ventricle dilation. Based on our results, we concluded that third ventricle dilation is a poor prognostic factor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Faculty of Medicine, Baskent University, Ankara, Turkey. ozgurhozdemir@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ozgur
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Ozdemir
authors.forename: Tarkan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Calisaneller
authors.forename: Askin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hastürk
authors.forename: Fatih
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Aydemir
authors.forename: Hakan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Caner
authors.forename: Nur
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Altinors
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D023261:Glasgow Outcome Scale; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000401:mortality* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013788:Thalamus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D020542:Third Ventricle / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014421:Turkey