Abstract

Material/Methods: A recently developed fiberoptic ICP transducer (Codman® intraparenchymal sensor) was used to continuously monitor intracranial pressure in seventy children with non-traumatic neurosurgical diseases. The admitting diagnoses were hydrocephalus or shunt-related problems in 33 cases, single-suture (5 cases) or complex (16 cases) craniosynostosis in 21 patients, and sylvian scissure arachnoid cyst (SAC) in 16 cases. A software (ICP monitoring release[sup]®[/sup]) designed in our department was used for ICP recording storage and analysis.Results: Raised ICP values were found in six of the seventeen patients with a suspected active hydrocephalus, 24% of children with non-syndromic craniosynostosis, 52.8% of syndromic craniosynostosis patients, 50% of the children with a Type II SAC and two of the three patients with Type III SAC.Conclusions: Overall, prolonged ICP monitoring proved to be extremely useful in guiding surgical indications. The fiberoptic device used in our unit was shown to be reliable and associated with a relatively low rate of complications. Finally, the software allowed easy review and analysis of the obtained data.

Keywords: Arachnoid Cysts - complications, Arachnoid Cysts - physiopathology, Automatic Data Processing, Child, Craniosynostoses - complications, Craniosynostoses - physiopathology, Fiber Optics, Hydrocephalus - complications, Hydrocephalus - physiopathology, Intracranial Hypertension - etiology, Intracranial Hypertension - physiopathology, Intracranial Pressure - physiology, Monitoring, Physiologic - instrumentation, Transducers, Pressure, Arachnoid Cysts - physiopathology, Automatic Data Processing, Child, Craniosynostoses - physiopathology, Fiber Optic Technology, Hydrocephalus - physiopathology, Intracranial Hypertension - physiopathology, Intracranial Pressure - physiology, Monitoring, Physiologic - instrumentation, Transducers, Pressure