Anaesthetic management of intracranial hypertension and pregnancy. A case report.

Hydrocephalus is an active distension of the ventricular system of the brain. The improved survival rates of patients with neurosurgical pathology is accompanied by a greater number of non-neurosurgical procedures in patients who have therapeutic neurosurgical devices. The real incidence of pregnancy in patients with obstructive hydrocephalus controlled with ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) is unclear. We present a case of a pregnant 34-year-old female with a VPS for obstructive hydrocephalus. Due to VPS obstruction secondary to uterus volume, she presented several episodes of neurological impairment during pregnancy. An elective caesarean section (C-section) and VPS review were planned for the same operative time. This rare case reflects the challenge that the anaesthesiologist has to face in order to provide the best and simultaneous management of the wellbeing of the mother, the mother's brain and the foetus.