Open AccessNormal pressure hydrocephalus after gamma knife radiosurgery for vestibular schwannoma
Author(s) -
Talat Mohammed,
Manish Ahuja,
Sang Gyu Ju,
John A. Thomas
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
journal of postgraduate medicine/journal of postgraduate medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.405
H-Index - 52
eISSN - 0972-2823
pISSN - 0022-3859
DOI - 10.4103/0022-3859.68634
Subject(s) - radiosurgery , hydrocephalus , medicine , schwannoma , normal pressure hydrocephalus , complication , sequela , surgery , radiology , radiation therapy , pathology , disease , dementia
Vestibular schwannomas are not uncommon, and gamma knife radiosurgery is one of the treatment options for symptomatic tumors. Hydrocephalus is a complication of gamma knife treatment of vestibular schwannoma, though the mechanism of the development of hydrocephalus remains controversial. We present an unusual case of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) after gamma knife radiosurgery of a vestibular schwannoma in which the timeline of events strongly suggests that gamma knife played a contributory role in the development of the hydrocephalus. This is probably the first case of NPH post radiosurgery with normal cerebrospinal fluid protein. Communicating hydrocephalus should be treated with placement of shunt while non-communicating hydrocephalus can be treated with third ventriculostomy. Frequent monitoring and early intervention post radiosurgery is highly recommended to prevent irreversible cerebral damage.