caa a22 4500 477107362 CHVBK 20180405111557.0 cr unu---uuuuu 170330e19961201xx s 000 0 eng 10.1007/BF01411122 doi (NATIONALLICENCE)springer-10.1007/BF01411122 A flexible metal ventricular catheter for treatment of complicated and protracted infections of the cerebrospinal fluid spaces: Preliminary experiences [Elektronische Daten] [U. Vieweg, B. Kaden, D. Van Roost] Summary: In the management of shunt infection, the use of ventricular catheters made of silicone rubber for the temporary external drainage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is general practice. However, the eradication of the primary source of infection may be hindered by the affinity of bacteria to silicone-based material. Compared to silicone catheters, a metal drainage device for temporary ventriculostomy appears to offer more favourable conditions for successful eradication of the infection. Since metal needles cannot be implanted permanently and since their screw-type fixation precludes attachment to the skulls of infants or small children, we developed a flexible metal catheter. This catheter was used exclusively for the treatment of particularly serious or chronic infections of the CSF spaces. The catheter is made of implantation steel and consists of a corrugated tube that renders it flexible. Cerebrospinal fluid drains into a receptable bulb at the tip of the tube. Tubing of other materials may be connected to the end of the metal catheter for either external or internal drainage. It was implanted as a temporary and later permanent CSF drainage in 7 male patients aged from 4 to 60 years, who suffered from chronic, recurrent ventriculitis (n = 5) with an average of 7 previous surgical revisions, as well as from complex infections (n = 2; basal tuberculous meningitis, brain abscess). The infections were successfully eliminated in 6 patients. In the remaining patient, the metal catheter for external ventriculostomy had to be removed after 4 days due a leakage of CSF; it was replaced by a silicone catheter and later on by a needle drainage. Other complications, such as secondary infection or intracerebral haemorrhage, did not occur. The average duration of external CSF drainage via the flexible metal catheter was 27 days (range 4-50 days). In 4 patients, the CSF drainage was converted to a permanent ventriculoperitoneal shunt using a new flexible metal catheter. At the time of post-operative follow-up examination (average = 34 weeks), all shunts were functioning and there was no evidence of infection. In cases of especially complicated and protracted CSF infections, the flexible metal ventricular catheter is a promising device for treatment. Springer-Verlag, 1996 Meningitis nationallicence shunt infection nationallicence hydrocephalus nationallicence ventriculitis nationallicence flexible metal catheter nationallicence external ventricular drainage nationallicence shunt drainage nationallicence Vieweg U. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Bonn, Germany aut Kaden B. Department of Neurosurgery, Bethesda Hospital, Wuppertal, Germany aut Van Roost D. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Bonn, Germany aut Acta Neurochirurgica Springer-Verlag 138/12(1996-12-01), 1431-1436 0001-6268 138:12<1431 1996 138 701 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01411122 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI 1 research-article jats NATIONALLICENCE 856 40 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01411122 text/html Onlinezugriff via DOI NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Vieweg U. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Bonn, Germany aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Kaden B. Department of Neurosurgery, Bethesda Hospital, Wuppertal, Germany aut NATIONALLICENCE 700 1- Van Roost D. Department of Neurosurgery, University of Bonn, Germany aut NATIONALLICENCE 773 0- Acta Neurochirurgica Springer-Verlag 138/12(1996-12-01), 1431-1436 0001-6268 138:12<1431 1996 138 701 Metadata rights reserved Springer special CC-BY-NC licence nationallicence BK010053 XK010053 XK010000 NATIONALLICENCE NATIONALLICENCE NL-springer