Aims: To provide long-term outcome data after treatment of hydrocephalus in children, and to identify risk factors for ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) failure. Methods: Endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) and VPS procedures in children between 2001 and 2005 were reviewed. Data collected prospectively included age at surgery, sex, aetiology of hydrocephalus, gestational age, emergency/planned surgery, duration of surgery, time of day, surgeon’s experience and other concomitant surgery. The mean follow-up was 4.7 years (min. 2 years). The endpoint was a new surgery due to failure of treatment, and the time to failure was noted. Risk factors for VPS failure were analysed by univariate Cox proportional hazards regression. Results: Ninety-eight patients were included, 76 with a VPS, 22 with an ETV. Fifty-five percent of ETV and 58% of VPS failed. Significant risk factors (p < 0.05) for VPS failure were prematurity (HR: 2.05; 95% CI: 1.12–3.76), concomitant procedure (HR: 2.07; 95% CI: 1.04–4.12) and long duration of surgery (HR: 1.23; 95% CI: 1.06–1.44), while sex, surgeon’s experience, shunt type, at what department the surgery was performed, whether the surgery was acute or elective, and time of day were not. Conclusion: Treatment failure occurred in >50% of patients after ETV and VPS. Prematurity and concomitant surgery were major risk factors for VPS failure.

A case with recurrent pigmented intraspinal tumour with malignant progression is presented. The primary tumour grew around the nerve roots T9 and T10, was attached to dura and infiltrated the vertebral bone tissue. On light microscopy it was comprised of monomorphic cells with large amount of cytoplasmic pigment and many large pigmented globoid bodies. Mitoses were not observed. On electron microscopy, in addition to cytoplasmic melanosomes of regular size, macromelanosomes were numerous. The tumour cells were surrounded partially by basement membrane like material. On these bases a histological diagnosis of benign pigmented tumour of neural crest origin was suggested (a possible pigmented meningioma or pigmented schwannoma). The patient got a recurrence one year after the primary operation. Biopsy from the re-operation showed histologically the same type of tumour with more pleomorphic cells. Subsequently, the tumour grew progressively and metastases were observed in the lungs and in the skin. The patient died two years after the primary operation. The malignant progression of the tumour and other reports on similar tumours was most consistent with a diagnosis of malignant pigmented schwannoma and this was confirmed later on with immunohistochemical staining showing positive staining for basement membrane components, collagen type IV and laminin as well as a positive staining for S-100 protein. The present findings show that despite benign histological features these tumours can behave very aggressively and stress the need of more information on this type of tumour.

A biochemical marker of brain cell damage, the BB-isozyme of the intracellular enzyme Creatine Kinase (CK), was used to evaluate any possible injury to the brain, caused by an operation for a ruptured intracranial aneurysm (SAH). CSF-CK BB was assessed before and at intervals after operation in a series of 60 patients, aged 29-71 (mean 51 years) operated on for intracranial aneurysms, all but one after SAH. The m/f ratio was 18/42. 35 of the 60 patients were operated on acutely, i.e. within 72 hours after the SAH. CK BB was determined as CKB-activity after immunological inactivation of CKM. Normally there should be almost no detectable enzyme activity in the CSF. The pre-operative CK BB-activity was 0.01+ -0.01 mikrokatal in the patients in Hunt & Hess grade I who were operated on > 7 days after their SAH, and 0.05+ -0.04 in those operated on acutely, probably still reflecting the effects of the SAH on the brain. The mean per-operative CK BB increase was 0.11+ -0.17 for patients who had an uneventful postoperative course, compared to 0.39+ -0.49 for those showing some degree of immediate postoperative deterioration. This difference is significant at the 1% level. 52 of the 60 patients showed a rise of CK BB after operation. The mean increase for those patients operated upon in a good state and without any complication or postoperative deterioration was 0.02+ -0.03 mikrokatal, which could therefore be considered as a "normal" or acceptable elevation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

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Profiles of plasma GH, plasma somatomedin-C and serum PRL concentrations as well as serum