Radiographic evaluation of pediatric cerebrospinal fluid shunt malfunction in the emergency setting. 2015

Tehnaz P Boyle, and Lise E Nigrovic
*Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Boyle), Division of Emergency Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; and †Assistant Professor of Pediatrics (Nigrovic), Division of Pediatric Emergency Medicine, Boston Medical Center, Boston University School of Medicine, Boston, MA.

Children with ventricular cerebrospinal fluid shunts for treatment of hydrocephalus require frequent evaluation for potential shunt malfunction. Current practice relies heavily on neuroimaging, particularly cranial computed tomography, which repeatedly exposes children to ionizing radiation. Rapid cranial magnetic resonance imaging is a new radiation-sparing alternative to CT for evaluation of potential shunt malfunction. We review the diagnostic test performance, radiation exposure, advantages, and limitations of the major neuroimaging modalities available to providers caring for children with possible shunt malfunction in the emergent setting.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008279 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Non-invasive method of demonstrating internal anatomy based on the principle that atomic nuclei in a strong magnetic field absorb pulses of radiofrequency energy and emit them as radiowaves which can be reconstructed into computerized images. The concept includes proton spin tomographic techniques. Chemical Shift Imaging,MR Tomography,MRI Scans,MRI, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Image,Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional,Magnetization Transfer Contrast Imaging,NMR Imaging,NMR Tomography,Tomography, NMR,Tomography, Proton Spin,fMRI,Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging,Imaging, Chemical Shift,Proton Spin Tomography,Spin Echo Imaging,Steady-State Free Precession MRI,Tomography, MR,Zeugmatography,Chemical Shift Imagings,Echo Imaging, Spin,Echo Imagings, Spin,Functional MRI,Functional MRIs,Image, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, NMR,Imaging, Spin Echo,Imagings, Chemical Shift,Imagings, Spin Echo,MRI Scan,MRIs, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Images,Resonance Image, Magnetic,Scan, MRI,Scans, MRI,Shift Imaging, Chemical,Shift Imagings, Chemical,Spin Echo Imagings,Steady State Free Precession MRI
D011829 Radiation Dosage The amount of radiation energy that is deposited in a unit mass of material, such as tissues of plants or animal. In RADIOTHERAPY, radiation dosage is expressed in gray units (Gy). In RADIOLOGIC HEALTH, the dosage is expressed by the product of absorbed dose (Gy) and quality factor (a function of linear energy transfer), and is called radiation dose equivalent in sievert units (Sv). Sievert Units,Dosage, Radiation,Gray Units,Gy Radiation,Sv Radiation Dose Equivalent,Dosages, Radiation,Radiation Dosages,Units, Gray,Units, Sievert
D011832 Radiation Injuries Harmful effects of non-experimental exposure to ionizing or non-ionizing radiation in VERTEBRATES. Radiation Sickness,Radiation Syndrome,Injuries, Radiation,Injury, Radiation,Radiation Injury,Radiation Sicknesses,Radiation Syndromes,Sickness, Radiation,Sicknesses, Radiation,Syndrome, Radiation,Syndromes, Radiation
D011877 Radionuclide Imaging The production of an image obtained by cameras that detect the radioactive emissions of an injected radionuclide as it has distributed differentially throughout tissues in the body. The image obtained from a moving detector is called a scan, while the image obtained from a stationary camera device is called a scintiphotograph. Gamma Camera Imaging,Radioisotope Scanning,Scanning, Radioisotope,Scintigraphy,Scintiphotography,Imaging, Gamma Camera,Imaging, Radionuclide
D002557 Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts Tubes inserted to create communication between a cerebral ventricle and the internal jugular vein. Their emplacement permits draining of cerebrospinal fluid for relief of hydrocephalus or other condition leading to fluid accumulation in the ventricles. Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunt,Shunt, Cerebrospinal Fluid,Shunts, Cerebrospinal Fluid
D002648 Child A person 6 to 12 years of age. An individual 2 to 5 years old is CHILD, PRESCHOOL. Children
D004630 Emergencies Situations or conditions requiring immediate intervention to avoid serious adverse results. Emergency
D004868 Equipment Failure Failure of equipment to perform to standard. The failure may be due to defects or improper use. Defects, Equipment,Device Failure,Failure, Equipment,Malfunction, Equipment,Medical Device Failure,Misuse, Equipment,Device Failure, Medical,Device Failures, Medical,Failure, Medical Device,Failures, Medical Device,Defect, Equipment,Device Failures,Equipment Defect,Equipment Defects,Equipment Failures,Equipment Malfunction,Equipment Malfunctions,Equipment Misuse,Equipment Misuses,Failure, Device,Failures, Device,Failures, Equipment,Malfunctions, Equipment,Misuses, Equipment
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D006849 Hydrocephalus Excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the cranium which may be associated with dilation of cerebral ventricles, INTRACRANIAL HYPERTENSION; HEADACHE; lethargy; URINARY INCONTINENCE; and ATAXIA. Communicating Hydrocephalus,Congenital Hydrocephalus,Obstructive Hydrocephalus,Post-Traumatic Hydrocephalus,Aqueductal Stenosis,Cerebral Ventriculomegaly,Fetal Cerebral Ventriculomegaly,Hydrocephalus Ex-Vacuo,Hydrocephaly,Aqueductal Stenoses,Cerebral Ventriculomegalies,Cerebral Ventriculomegalies, Fetal,Cerebral Ventriculomegaly, Fetal,Fetal Cerebral Ventriculomegalies,Hydrocephalus Ex Vacuo,Hydrocephalus Ex-Vacuos,Hydrocephalus, Communicating,Hydrocephalus, Congenital,Hydrocephalus, Obstructive,Hydrocephalus, Post-Traumatic,Post Traumatic Hydrocephalus,Stenoses, Aqueductal,Stenosis, Aqueductal,Ventriculomegalies, Cerebral,Ventriculomegalies, Fetal Cerebral,Ventriculomegaly, Cerebral,Ventriculomegaly, Fetal Cerebral

Related Publications

Tehnaz P Boyle, and Lise E Nigrovic
January 2006, Pediatric emergency care,
Tehnaz P Boyle, and Lise E Nigrovic
July 1990, Neurosurgery,
Tehnaz P Boyle, and Lise E Nigrovic
October 2002, Pediatric emergency care,
Tehnaz P Boyle, and Lise E Nigrovic
December 2007, British journal of hospital medicine (London, England : 2005),
Tehnaz P Boyle, and Lise E Nigrovic
November 1988, Neurosurgery,
Tehnaz P Boyle, and Lise E Nigrovic
January 1999, Pediatric neurosurgery,
Tehnaz P Boyle, and Lise E Nigrovic
January 1996, Pediatric neurosurgery,
Tehnaz P Boyle, and Lise E Nigrovic
December 2016, Acta neurochirurgica,
Copied contents to your clipboard!