A Simple and Reliable Method for the Diagnosis of Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt Malfunction

OBJECTIVE: To provide a simple and reliable method for the diagnosis of ventriculoperitoneal shunt malfunction.

METHODS: A total of 14 participants were enrolled in this study, consisting of 7 patients with suspected shunt malfunction and 7 control cases with apparent normal drainage. In all cases, 0.1 mL of 5% glucose solution was injected into the reservoir and 0.1 mL of cerebrospinal fluid was withdrawn from the reservoir 20 minutes later to measure glucose concentration.

RESULTS: The glucose concentration in cerebrospinal fluid of the shunt malfunction group was greater than that of the control group (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: The proposed method is reliable, safe, and relatively simple for the diagnosis of ventriculoperitoneal shunt malfunction and provides a reference for treatment.

%d bloggers like this: