Functional analysis of third ventriculostomy by Phase Contrast MR Imaging.

Abstract

Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) has become the first-line of treatment for hydrocephalus, alternative to ventriculoperitoneal shunt due to high success rates and low morbidity & mortality rates associated with it. ETV creates a direct communication between the third ventricle and the interpeduncular & prepontine subarachnoid spaces, bypassing any obstruction at the level of the aqueduct of sylvius or fourth ventricle. Multiple pre-operative and intra-operative factors influence the outcome of endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV). The procedure's outcome has an element of unpredictability due to the multifactorial influence. In the early postoperative period, clinical data may not accurately represent the function of the ETV stoma. The morbidity linked to ETV failure could be devastating. Assessment of the ETV operation is done by several radiological methods, such as ventricular size changes, cine phase-contrast MRI to detect the flow void within the ETV stoma, and invasive contrast studies to demonstrate the flow. Functional and anatomical information were provided