Analysis of Intracranial Compliance Through Noninvasive Intracranial Pressure Waveforms in Hydrocephalus Patients. A Pilot Study.

AIM: To assess the changes of intracranial pressure waveforms (ICPW) acquired noninvasively in a set of acute hydrocephalus patients prior to and posterior to interventions.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

Patients with clinical and radiological diagnosis of hydrocephalus were evaluated for alterations in ICPW by means of a system that detects cranial micro expansions just before and immediately after interventions. The system quantified the difference between ICPW peaks (P1 and P2), providing the P2/P1 ratio.

RESULTS

Fourteen patients aged from 26 to 73 years old met the inclusion criteria. Hydrocephalus etiologies were normal pressure hydrocephalus, post-traumatic and all patients had an abnormal intracranial compliance waveform, with P2 > P1 before the procedure (5 external ventricular drains (EVD) and 9 ventriculoperitoneal shunts (VPS). Immediately after, 75% of the patients changed to a standard pattern with P1 > P2.

CONCLUSION

In this exploratory study using a novel noninvasive technique, rapid cerebrospinal fluid drainage by means of EVD and VPS was effectively assessed and had a positive impact on intracranial compliance.