Neuroendoscopic lavage for the treatment of CSF infection with hydrocephalus in children

Objective The treatment of infectious CSF condition with ventriculitis and hydrocephalus in children is an interdisciplinary challenge. Conventional surgical treatment includes external ventricular drain (EVD) and systemic antibiotic therapy. However, infectious contamination of large ventricles combined with CSF protein overload often requires long treatment regimens. We retrospectively investigated neuroendoscopic lavage as a new option for clearance of CSF in children with hydrocephalus and active CSF infection. Patients and methods A database review identified 50 consecutive patients treated for CSF infection with hydrocephalus at our institution. Twenty-seven patients (control group, CG) were treated conventionally between 2004 and 2010, while 23 patients (neuroendoscopic group, NEG) underwent neuroendoscopic lavage for removal of intraventricular debris between 2010 and 2015. Clinical data, microbiology, laboratory measures, shunt dependency, and shunt revision rate were evaluated retrospectively. Results The patient groups did not differ regarding basic clinical characteristics. Patients in NEG received neuroendoscopic lavage at mean of 1.6 +/- ltimes (1-4). No immediate postoperative complications were observed in NEG patients. Shunt rate in NEG patients was 91% as compared 100% in CG patients (p = 0.109). Within 24 months after shunt implantation, incidence of shunt revision was higher in CG (23/27) compared to NEG (5/23;p < 0.001). Reinfection was observed more often in CG (n = 17) compared to one patient in NEG (p < 0.001). Conclusions We experienced that neuroendoscopic lavage is a safe and effective treatment for hydrocephalus in children with infectious conditions. Neuroendoscopic lavage resulted in a decreased number of overall shunt revisions in shunt-depended patients as well as a lower number of recurrent infections.