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Eur J Pediatr Surg 1991; 1: 25-26
DOI: 10.1055/s-2008-1042533
Original article

© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Long-Term Assessment of Intracranial Pressure Using the Tympanic Membrane Displacement Measurement Technique

S. M. Moss1 , R. J. Marchbanks1 , D. M. Burge2
  • 1Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, University of Southampton, Southampton, S05 5NH, U.K.
  • 2Wessex Regional Centre for Paediatric Surgery, Southampton General Hospital, Southampton, S09 4XY, U.K.
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Publication History

Publication Date:
25 March 2008 (online)

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Abstract

The tympanic intracranial pressure (ICP) measurement technique was used to assess intracranial pressure over several months in two patient populations.

In the first study, 43 shunted hydrocephalic children, aged 4-17 years, were tested over a period of 18 months when clinically well. Of these 11 (26 %) were later admitted with symptoms suggesting acute shunt blockage. The tympanic ICP measurement correlated with clinical and/or operative findings in 10 cases.

In the second study, illustrated by a case report, repeated testing over a period of 5 months in children with chronic symptoms suggestive of periods of increased ICP, demonstrated a correlation between symptoms and ICP and helped influence management decisions.

Tympanic ICP measurement in shunted children is a valuable tool in the assessment of acute and chronic shunt malfunction. Serial testing was shown to be clinically useful in the long-term management of these patients as a diagnostic indicator of pressure variation and shunt dysfunction.

Key words

Shunt function - Non-invasive - Intracranial pressure

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