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Questions posted in the
Neurology and Neurosurgery Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.
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Subject: Re: shunted child I posted a message a few days ago regarding CSF pressure. Your response leads me to my next question. As I told you, my child was shunted as a toddler for extraaxial fluid collections that have since resolved (subduroperitoneal shunt). Her ventricles are and have always been within normal limits. At six yrs. of age, her subdural shunt was converted to a VP due to elevated opening pressure discovered during a scheduled revision. I wonder if you know what the long term effects on her brain might be - normal ventricles with a VP shunt. She suffers daily headaches since the conversion. Thank you for any information.
There should be no long term effects of the VP shunt other than what the possible sequalae might bring about. By this I mean such things and shunt malfunction, infection, seizure activity, etc. One cannot predict whether these things might happen, although they all are a possibility. Some children have all of the possibilities and some have none, so prediction is really impossible. Without doing a physical exam, it is impossible to tell you what the headaches are from. I would let the surgeon and pediatric neurologist know about this and defer the cause to them. I hope that your daughter suffers none of the possible complications. Sincerely, CCF Neuro[P] MD |
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