Ventricular shunt failures are common with as many as 40% failing by 1 year and 70% by 10 years. Approximately 15% of these shunt failures are related to shunt disconnections. The typical presenting symptoms of shunt malfunction are nonspecific and include nausea, vomiting, and altered consciousness; therefore, imaging is critical for diagnosis. Conventional radiographs can be used to identify shunt disruption although they can have limited sensitivity. Most children with suspected shunt dysfunction will also undergo CT or MR imaging to evaluate ventricular sizes. In addition, the integrity of the shunt system within the field of view on head CT can be assessed in detail; however, subtle shunt disconnections or fractures can still be difficult to detect on multiplanar CT images. Volume rendered CT images of the shunt apparatus can be used to improve the detection of subtle shunt disruptions
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Meeting name:
SPR 2020 Annual Meeting & Postgraduate Course
, 2020
Authors:
Oztek Murat Alp,
Parisi Marguerite,
Perez Francisco,
Phillips Grace
Keywords:
Ventriculoperitoneal shunt,
CT,
Volume rendering