Ultrasound assessment of the ventricular system, including the size of the 3rd ventricle, can be used in severe traumatic brain injury. Ultrasound measurement of the size of the 3rd ventricle is used as a marker to monitor cerebral atrophy in neurodegenerative diseases such as multiple sclerosis (MS). There is good correlation between brain ultrasound and MRI and CT brain imaging to assess the size of the 3rd ventricle. Ultrasound measurement of the size of the 3rd ventricle has never been evaluated in weaning external ventricular leads.
Measuring the size of the 3rd ventricle by ultrasound could be an interesting monitoring technique during a SEV withdrawal trial to predict success or failure.
Weaning is usually based on a clamp test with more or less paraclinical clinical monitoring. The recurrence of hydrocephalus and / or HTIC defines a withdrawal failure of the drainage device.
The size of the 3rd ventricle evaluated by cerebral CT in a clamp test is found as a predictor of weaning failure of a DVE.
