This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Intracranial shunts

Authoring team

A shunt is a device used to reduce intracranial pressure by draining off CSF from a dilated ventricular system.

Shunt components:

  • ventricular catheter - inserted into the lateral ventricle through the occipital horn so as the tip lies at the level of the foramen of Munro
  • subcutaneous reservoir and one-way valve - to permit aspiration of CSF for analysis and CSF outflow
  • distal catheter - inserted through the internal jugular vein into the right atrium - ventriculoatrial (VA) shunt; into the peritoneal cavity - ventriculoperitoneal (VP) shunt
  • alternatively, lumboperitoneal shunt - catheter origin inserted into the lumbar theca; distal site in the peritoneal cavity.

Aqueduct stenosis may be treated by a shunt from the lateral ventricle into the cisterna magna - Torkildsen's procedure.

Related pages

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.