Use of lumbar drainage of cerebrospinal fluid for brain relaxation in occipital lobe approaches in children: technical note.

BACKGROUND

The purpose of this report is to describe the use of lumbar drainage of CSF in children to achieve brain relaxation for occipital lobe approaches with the need for minimal retraction. This technique of brain relaxation, widely reported and used in the adult neurosurgical literature, has not been documented by published reports in the pediatric literature.

CASE DESCRIPTION

We illustrate this technique through the case of a 5-year-old patient who was operated on for an AVM of the occipital lobe through a suboccipital supratentorial approach.

CONCLUSIONS

We confirm that lumbar drainage of CSF is an effective and safe technique, and an alternative to ventriculostomy placement, in accomplishing brain relaxation and minimal retraction in occipital lobe approaches in children. We discuss the advantages and disadvantages related to lumbar drain and ventriculostomy placement.