Cerebellar Hemorrhage After Multiple Manual Pumping Tests of a Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt: A Case Report

Delayed Catheter-Related Intracranial Hemorrhage After a Ventriculoperitoneal or Ventriculoatrial Shunt in Hydrocephalus

OBJECTIVE

Delayed catheter-related intracranial hemorrhage is not rare after a ventriculoperitoneal (VP) or ventriculoatrial (VA) shunt for the treatment of hydrocephalus. Immediate postoperative catheter-related intracranial hemorrhage is possibly due to the procedure itself; however, delayed intracranial hemorrhage may have other underlying mechanisms. This study aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics and reveal the risk factors of delayed catheter-related intracranial hemorrhage after a VP or VA shunt.

METHODS

We did a retrospective study to review patients with hydrocephalus and underwent VP or VA shunt in our department from September 2011 to December 2015. We reviewed the clinical characteristics of the patients with delayed catheter-related intracranial hemorrhage, and its risk factors were analyzed with SPSS 16.0.

RESULTS

Of the 218 patients enrolled in the study (145 male, 73 female), 17 (7.8%) patients experienced delayed catheter-related intracranial hemorrhage, including 11 of 151 (7.3%) patients with a VP shunt and 6 of 67 (9.0%) patients with a VA shunt. Additionally, 4 of the 16 patients with postoperative low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) therapy and 13 of the 202 patients without LMWH experienced bleeding, showing a significant difference (25% vs. 6.4%, P = 0.026). The relative risk was 4.8 (95% confidence interval: 1.4-17.1).

CONCLUSION

Delayed catheter-related intracranial hemorrhage is not rare after a VP or VA shunt. However, most patients can be cured after appropriate treatment. Postoperative anticoagulation therapy with enoxaparin may be associated with an increased risk of bleeding.

An improved reservoir for the flushing test to diagnose shunt insufficiency

OBJECTIVE Reservoirs integrated into hydrocephalus shunts are commonly used for the removal of CSF and for intra-ventricular pressure measurement. Pumping with the reservoir to diagnose shunt sufficiency is still a matter of controversy. The authors describe an improved flushing device and its characteristic features in vitro and in vivo. METHODS The flushing reservoir is constructed with a sapphire ball in a cage as a nonresistance valve to also enable the detection of distal occlusions. The most important reservoir parameters were investigated in vitro, simulating total and partial proximal and distal shunt occlusions. Then the expected advantages were assessed in vivo by evaluating the pump test data of 360 implanted reservoirs. The results were compared with those found in the literature. RESULTS The optimization of the technical parameters of the device, such as the high stroke volume in combination with moderate suction force, are obvious advantages compared with other flushing devices. Total occlusion of the ventricular catheter and the valve could be assessed with high certainty. The detection of a total obstruction of the peritoneal catheter or any partial obstruction is also possible, depending on its exact grade and location. CONCLUSIONS Shunt obstructions can be assessed using the pumping test. The reservoir construction presented here provides a clear enhancement of that diagnostic test.

Cerebral venous overdrainage: an under-recognized complication of cerebrospinal fluid diversion

Understanding the altered physiology following cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion in the setting of adult hydrocephalus is important for optimizing patient care and avoiding complications. There is mounting evidence that the cerebral venous system plays a major role in intracranial pressure (ICP) dynamics especially when one takes into account the effects of postural changes, atmospheric pressure, and gravity on the craniospinal axis as a whole. An evolved mechanism acting at the cortical bridging veins, known as the “Starling resistor,” prevents overdrainage of cranial venous blood with upright positioning. This protective mechanism can become nonfunctional after CSF diversion, which can result in posture-related cerebral venous overdrainage through the cranial venous outflow tracts, leading to pathological states. This review article summarizes the relevant anatomical and physiological bases of the relationship between the craniospinal venous and CSF compartments and surveys complications that may be explained by the cerebral venous overdrainage phenomenon. It is hoped that this article adds a new dimension to our therapeutic methods, stimulates further research into this field, and ultimately improves our care of these patients.

Remote cerebellar hemorrhage due to ventriculoperitoneal shunt in an infant: a case report

INTRODUCTION

Cerebellar hemorrhage remote from the operative site is an unpredictable and rare complication in neurosurgery, with reported rates of morbidity and mortality in the literature of 8.4% and 7.8%, respectively. The range of procedures associated with remote cerebellar hemorrhage is diverse and includes both supratentorial and spinal procedures that entail significant cerebral spinal fluid loss or resection of supratentorial content. We present here the first documented case of remote cerebellar hemorrhage after controlled supratentorial cerebral spinal fluid drainage by ventriculoperitoneal shunt, and discuss the proposed pathophysiology and treatment.

CASE PRESENTATION

We present the case of a four-month-old Saudi Arabian male baby who presented with progressive symptoms and signs of congenital hydrocephalus. An uneventful ventriculoperitoneal shunting was performed with our patient recovering smoothly in the immediate postoperative period. On the next day, he had frequent episodes of vomiting and became lethargic. An urgent computed tomography scan of his brain revealed mild ventricular decompression and unexpected cerebellar hemorrhage. The infant was put under close observation, with marked spontaneous improvement over 48 hours and complete resolution of the hemorrhage on a follow-up computed tomography brain scan two weeks later. On regular outpatient visits at one, three and twelve months, he had no neurological deficit.

CONCLUSION

Remote cerebellar hemorrhage is a complication that remains enigmatic in terms of both the underlying mechanism and clinical behavior. Our case revealed that the risk factors identified in the literature are not sufficient in predicting patients at risk of developing remote cerebellar hemorrhage. Our report also adds to the growing body of evidence challenging the currently accepted hypothesis explaining the pathomechanism of remote cerebellar hemorrhage. It thereby remains an unpredictable hazard that requires further study and increased awareness, as many cases in the literature are incidental findings.

Remote cerebellar hemorrhage as an unusual complication of supratentorial surgery. A case report and literature review

Remote cerebellar hemorrhage as a complication of supratentorial surgery is a rare entity in radiology literature, but not infrequently encountered in neurosurgical literature. Typical appearance and location in the posterior fossa, and remote site from the original surgical site, make the diagnosis easier if one aware of such a self-limiting condition. Diagnosis of this condition helps to differentiate it from other ominous causes of hemorrhage. In our institution, we came across such cases within a short period of time and present them as case reports along with review of the literature on this unusual complication.