Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-94fs2 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-11T08:30:10.620Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

17 - Hydrocephalus shunts

Principles, hardware, shunt testing

from Section 4 - Treatment and outcomes

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 February 2014

By
Zofia Czosnyka ,
Krzysztof Cieslicki ,
Hugh K. Richards ,
John D. Pickard  and
Marek Czosnyka
Edited by
Daniele Rigamonti
Daniele Rigamonti
Affiliation:
The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Get access

Summary

Hydrocephalus is caused by different etiological factors, but the common final pathway creates a vicious circle of altered cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) circulation, cerebral blood flow, and metabolism that affects brain homeostasis. In communicating hydrocephalus, draining of CSF appears to be the simplest way of interrupting this circle by improving the CSF circulation. The mathematical model of CSF pressure volume compensation provides a theoretical basis for the differential diagnosis of hydrocephalus. Eighteen nonprogrammable and eight programmable valves reveal the common hydrodynamic properties of contemporary shunts. Any repetitive variations of proximal pressure have a tendency to decrease the nominal operating pressure of shunts with unidirectional valves. Shunt operating pressure is the value of intracranial pressure (ICP) that should be fixed when the opened shunt is draining CSF with the rate equal to that of its production. It is slightly higher than shunt opening pressure.

Keywords

pressure hydrocephalusgait dysfunctionnormal pressure hydrocephalusurinary dysfunctiondifferential diagnosiscognitive deficitdif erential diagnosiscerebrospinal fluid
Type
Chapter
Information
Adult Hydrocephalus , pp. 190 - 206
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2014

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×