Abstract
Background: Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) success depends on multiple factors. Third ventricular floor bowing (TVFB) serves as an indicator of intraventricular obstruction in hydrocephalus and existence of pressure gradient across third ventricular floor, which is the prerequisite of a successful ETV. The authors have hypothesized that patients with preoperative bowing of the 3rd ventricle will have greater success rates after ETV in comparison to patients that lack preoperative bowing of 3rd ventricle.
Objective: To study the effect of pre-operative bowing of 3rd ventricle on the success rate of ETV in case of obstructive hydrocephalus.
Material and Methods: The authors determined success and failure for 32 ETVs performed in patients of obstructive hydrocephalus. Patients age, etiology of hydrocephalus, duration of illness, presence or absence of papilledema, intraoperative csf pressure, and preoperative third ventricular bowing was assessed on MR imaging.
Results: Out of total 32 patients, 16 patients have preoperative bowing of 3rd ventricular floor & 16 patients have no preoperative bowing. Among 16 patients without preoperative bowing of the floor of third ventricle, 6 (37.50%) had successful outcome, while 10 (62.50%) experienced failure. In contrast, among 16 patients with bowing of the floor of third ventricle, 13 (81.25%) were successful, whereas only 3 (18.75%) failed.
Conclusion: To conclude, the presence of pre-operative bowing of the third ventricle significantly increased the likelihood of ETV success.
