Sonographically guided aspiration of cerebrospinal fluid pseudocysts in children and adolescents

OBJECTIVE. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pseudocyst formation is an uncommon cause of ventriculoperitoneal shunt malfunction in children. Traditional staged treatment consists of shunt externalization, antibiotics, and later shunt revision and internalization. We sought to evaluate whether sonographically guided pseudocyst aspiration to alleviate acute symptoms and to exclude CSF infection could obviate shunt externalization and expedite the care of these patients. CONCLUSION. Sonographically guided CSF pseudocyst aspiration is an effective technique, allowing exclusion or confirmation of infection and providing relief of abdominal symptoms. In patients with sterile collections, staged surgical revision with shunt externalization can be avoided, speeding and simplifying treatment.