How is slit ventricle syndrome treated?
How is slit ventricle syndrome treated?
The disease is characterized by severe, life-modifying headaches with normal or smaller-than-normal ventricles. Treatment can be difficult. Initially, it should include placement of an adjustable shunt valve with an antisiphon device.
What causes small ventricles in brain?
This finding is presumably due to non-specific and diffuse swelling of brain parenchyma, and is illustrated in cases of trauma, neoplasm, encephalitis, pseudotumor cerebri, metabolic disorder, and probable dilantin effect. It is likely that other causes will be encountered in the future.
What happens when ventricles collapse?
Over-draining occurs when CSF drains from ventricles at a faster rate than it’s produced. This can cause ventricles to collapse, which may lead to headaches or hemorrhage inside the brain. Under-draining allows CSF to accumulate on the brain and can cause symptoms of hydrocephalus to return.
What does slit like ventricles mean?
Slit ventricle syndrome occurs in minority of patients who have been shunted. “Slit ventricle” refers to the computed tomography (CT) or magnetic response imaging (MRI) finding of very small (“slit-like”) ventricles.
What happens if too much CSF is drained?
It is possible that the puncture of the ventricle or the opening of the dura will result in an intracranial hemorrhage. It is possible that if too much CSF is removed from the ventricles, either during a drainage procedure or when the ventricle is first punctured, the ventricle may collapse and occlude the catheter.
Why are ventricles in the brain important?
The ventricular system is a set of communicating cavities within the brain. These structures are responsible for the production, transport and removal of cerebrospinal fluid, which bathes the central nervous system.
What does slit ventricle syndrome ( SVS ) mean?
What is slit ventricle syndrome Slit ventricle syndrome (SVS) is a grouping of symptoms which, for example, can occur in a patient in a patient with a functional shunt, but whose brain has lost some of its elasticity.
When to use sterile shunt for Slit ventricle syndrome?
Patients with stiff ventricles, slit ventricle syndrome, or overdrainage symptoms present challenges in diagnosing a shunt malfunction. In poorly responsive patients with diminished brain compliance, a sterile shunt tap to test the proximal and distal shunt flow is warranted.
What causes a brain to have slit like ventricles?
On computerized tomography (CT) imaging, slit-like ventricles can be seen. Chronic CSF shunting can cause reactionary subependymal gliosis, creating proximal obstruction of the ventricles and subsequent collapse. Craniocephalic disproportion occurs when the brain grows out of proportion to intracranial volume.
What are the principles of management of slit ventricles?
The principles of management of a patient with slit ventricles and possible features of shunt blockage include accurate characterization of the intracranial pressure. Careful evaluation of the CT scan may demonstrate subtle changes suggestive of raised pressure, such as reduced CSF over the hemispheres.