Analysis of clinical characteristics of children with slit ventricle syndrome / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

Objective:To identify clinical characteristics of slit ventricle syndrome (SVS) in children, thus improving pediatricians′ understanding of pediatric SVS.Methods:Clinical data of children diagnosed as SVS in the Emergency Department of Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University from June 2015 to May 2019 were collected and retrospectively analyzed.Results:A total of 10 children with SVS were included, including 3 cases of arachnoid cyst, 3 cases of congenital hydrocephalus, 2 cases of Dandy-Walker syndrome, 1 case of idiopathic intracranial hypertension syndrome, and 1 case of hydrocephalus secondary to intracranial hemorrhage as the primary disease.The age of first shunting, and that at diagnosis of SVS were 1.3 (0.3-12.8) years, and 9.9 (3.8-13.3) years, respectively.SVS-associated symptoms appeared in 4.4 (0.5-12.0) years after shunting, including intermittent headache (10/10 cases), vomiting (10/10 cases), irritability (4/10 cases), seizures (5/10 cases), diminution of vision (2/10 cases), and intracranial hypertension (10/10 cases) at varying severities.When SVS occurred, the cerebral ventricle presented slit-like morphology.Three cases were relieved with mannitol treatment and 7 cases were treated with emergency lumbar-peritoneal shunt after mannitol failure.During 1-5 years of follow-up, 9 patients did not have SVS-associated symptoms and 1 case with medical therapy had recurrences.Conclusions:SVS is a rare complication after shunt surgery, with the clinical manifestations of intermittent headache and slow valve refilling conforming; imaging showed that the cerebral ventricle was slit-like morphology.When there are signs of intracranial hypertension after shunting and there is no cerebral ventricle dilatation in imaging, SVS should be highly vigilant.Once SVS is confirmed, surgical intervention should be introduced as early as possible after treatment failure of medication, so as to improve the prognosis.

Trapped Fourth Ventricle in Recurrent Acoustic Schwannoma - A Rarity

Fourth ventricular dilatation is usually seen along with tri-ventriculomegaly in patients with communicating hydrocephalus. Isolated fourth ventricular dilatation is uncommon, especially as a sequelae following infective or post hemorrhagic communicating hydrocephalus. Communicating hydrocephalus is reported in vestibular schwannoma with an incidence of 3.7 to 23.5%, but 4th ventricular dilatation following its treatment has not been reported in the literature. We report a novel case of isolated fourth ventricular obstruction following surgery for recurrent vestibular schwannoma and ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement for communicating hydrocephalus. Management strategies range from endoscopic procedures to ventricular shunt placement. We describe the surgical technique for the placement of a fourth ventricular shunt with the use of a Y connector.

Em pacientes com hidrocefalia comunicante, a dilatação do quarto ventrículo é normalmente vista acompanhada de triventriculomegalia. A dilatação do quarto ventrículo isolado é incomum, especialmente como uma sequela subsequente à hidrocefalia comunicante infecciosa ou hemorrágica. Hidrocefalia comunicante é relatada em schwannoma vestibular com incidência de 3,7 a 23,5%, mas a dilatação do quarto ventrículo subsequente ao tratamento não foi encontrada na literatura. Relatamos caso de obstrução do quarto ventrículo isolado subsequente a cirurgia para schwannoma vestibular recorrente e shunt ventriculoperitoneal para hidrocefalia comunicante. As estratégias de manejo variam de procedimentos endoscópicos a shunt ventricular. Descrevemos técnica cirúrgica para alocação de shunt do quarto ventrículo com o uso de conector Y.

Considerações hidrodinâmicas sobre a derivação liquórica V: alterações nos dimensionamentos originais do sistema valvular no momento do implante alteram suas características hidrodinâmicas e induzem a erros de avaliação clínica pelo neurocirurgião / Modifications in catheter dimensions upon shunt implantation - Revision affect shunt hydrodynamic profile and clinical judgment

Objetivo: Averiguar se as características hidrodinâmicas das válvulas se alteram significativamente quando os dimensionamentos originais são violados e a possível repercussão clínica desse fato. Métodos: Foi utilizada uma bancada de testes automatizada, conforme a norma ISO 7197. Um sistema valvular foi testado inicialmente com os componentes reconizados e embalados originalmente com o produto. A seguir, substituiu-se o cateter peritoneal original por diversos dimensionamentos encontrados no mercado nacional. Nos testes para a avaliação da influência do diâmetro do cateter no escoamento, foi utilizado sempre o mesmo comprimento original do cateter. Aplicou-se o mesmo raciocínio lógico para a análise do comprimento do cateter. Nove perfis hidrodinâmicos foram obtidos para as diferentes montagens valvulares. Resultados: Diminuições imperceptíveis no diâmetro do cateter peritoneal alteraram o perfil hidrodinâmico do sistema valvular testado. Alterações de 0,1 mm no diâmetro de um cateter peritoneal aumentaram o efeito resistivo do sistema valvular suficientemente para que ele funcionasse fora do perfil hidrodinâmico preconizado; o efeito resistivo se acentuou conforme o diâmetro diminuiu, e vice-versa. A diminuição do comprimento do cateter também influenciou significativamente no desempenho hidráulico da válvula, de um regime inicial de alta pressão para um regime de média pressão. Conclusão: Alterações de dimensionamento em cateteres peritoneais trazem complicações para o paciente e desorientam o julgamento clínico do neurocirurgião no período pós-implante, pois o sistema valvular funcionará em regime hidráulico fora do especificado, e o raciocínio lógico do neurocirurgião também se torna comprometido. Esse fato pode ser crítico principalmente em crianças e neonatos. Não foram identificados relatos desse fato na literatura que antecede esta apresentação.

Objective: Check if the hydrodynamic characteristics of the valves change significantly when the original sizing are violated, and the possible clinical consequences of this fact. Methods: One shunt system was randomly submitted to hydraulic forces in a bench test according to ISO 7197, for 50, 40, 30, 20, 10 and 5 ml/h flow, in six sequential tests, and each sequential test was repeated 7 times. Results are the mean flow for the 7 events. Maintaining original peritoneal length of 1,200 mm, data were collected for i.d. catheter diameters of 1,5, 1,2, 1,1, and 1,0 mm. Maintaining original i.d., peritoneal catheter length was sequentially cut and tested every 10 cm down to 600 mm. Results: Changes in the order of 0,1 mm in catheter inner diameter changes the hydrodynamic profile of the shunt system. Cutting a peritoneal catheter by also changes its original hydrodynamic profile. Shunt will perform in a lower pressure setting from originally specified. Conclusion: Cutting peritoneal catheters upon implantation or revisions is a fact, especially in pediatric patients. Depending on the cutting length of the peritoneal catheter, the shunt system implanted will not perform according the its specifications, being a lower resistance shunt than preconized by the manufacturer, and the neurosurgeon may have misjudgments whenever the patient requires care for shunt malfunction.

Slit Ventricle Syndrome

Authors report four cases of hydrocephalic patients with slit ventricle syndrome, three of whom evidenced reexpansion of the ventricular system following insertion of high resistance value or anti-siphon devices. The results of the treatment were dramatic in two cases of anti-siphon divice application and relatively good in one case of high resistance valve application. The authors reviewed the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of the slit ventricle syndrome.