Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy for Hydrocephalus in Paediatrics

Background: Abnormal CSF accumulation within ventricles of brain leading to raised intracranial pressure is a potentially life-threatening state that is commonly seen in neurosurgical patients. Aim of this study is to assess the efficacy of endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) in treatment of pediatric hydrocephalus in pediatrics. Materials and Methods: A total of sixty-two patients were included in this prospective study. Patients were generally discharged from the hospital on the 2nd or 3rd postoperative day unless some complication arose. All the information was recorded in a pre-structured proforma, and data were analyzed by SPSS. Statistical significance was defined as p-value less than or equal to 0.05. Results: At follow up, clinical improvement and radiological findings did not necessarily correlate with each other, as ventricular size was reduced in only 42 (67.7%) out of 62 patients. Remaining 20 (32.3%) patients had no change in the size of ventricles. The difference was not statistically significant. However, as observed by cine PC MRI, CSF flow was observed in all the patients. Conclusion: In non-communicating hydrocephalus, ETV is a simple technique and safe and effective treatment if done by an expert surgeon correctly. It is a reasonable alternate of VPS due to its simplicity and effectiveness.