Suggestions for the construction of a flow-reducing device in the treatment of hydrocephalic children, based on clinical and experimental results.

A few hydrocephalic children originally shunted for progressive hydrocephalus become shunt-independent later on (5). The most important mechanisms resulting in shunt independence are, on the one hand, induced by growth, and, on the other hand, the gradually diminishing function and, finally, occlusion of the vascular catheter. With a flow-reducing device it should be possible to imitate this mechanism, resulting in appropriate cases in shunt independence within a predictable time.

Simultaneous measurement of ventricular fluid and fontanelle pressure in neonates and infants with hydrocephalus.

Simultaneous measurement of fontanelle and ventricular fluid pressure was performed during 1-2 hours in 17 neonates and infants with hydrocephalus at a mean age of 7 weeks on 19 occasions. The fontanelle pressure recorded by a Ladd sensor was on the average 1.1 mmHg lower than the ventricular fluid pressure and differed from it by a standard deviation of +/- 3.