Evaluating Demographic and Clinical Characteristics and Type of ‎Hydrocephalus Before and After Surgical Interventions in Patients ‎With Intraventricular Brain Tumors

Hydrocephalus is a common complication of intraventricular brain tumors. The present study was conducted to determine demographic and clinical features and type of hydrocephalus in patients with intraventricular brain tumors before and after surgical interventions.
Methods and Materials/Patients: The present cross-sectional study was conducted on 102 patients with intraventricular brain tumors as candidates for tumor surgeries. The presence of hydrocephalus before and after the surgery, External Ventricular Drainage (EVD) insertion and other characteristics such as the tumor location and pathology and demographic characteristics of the patients and the management of hydrocephalus were analyzed.

Hydrocephalus was observed in 81 (79.4%) out of the 102 patients before undergoing the surgery and in 41 (59.8%) after the surgery. No significant differences were observed among the patients in terms of the tumor pathology and location and demographic characteristics. Although hydrocephalus was not significantly different among the patients by individual characteristics, the tumor location and pathology, the incidence of hydrocephalus was significantly different between before and after the surgery based on features such as colloid cyst, medulloblastoma and ependymoma as well as the tumor location.

The present findings suggested features such as the tumor pathology and location affect the subsequent hydrocephalic survival both before and after the operation. In case these findings are confirmed, they can help predict the therapeutic measures required for preventing and treating postoperative hydrocephalus, including ventriculoperitoneal shunt and EVD insertion.