Transcranial sonography through the burr hole for detection of ventriculomegaly. A preliminary report.

Detection of ventriculomegaly in a child with a ventricular shunt is important in the diagnosis of shunt malfunction. The feasibility of visualizing the ventricles through a 2-cm burr hole, with the use of a small-footprint 7-MHz transducer, was evaluated in five infants. Each burr hole remained patent during the study (2-6 months), and in all infants correlation between views through the anterior fontanelle and the burr hole were in agreement. When ventriculomegaly can be detected by this technique, the need for CT evaluation may be obviated. Further study is necessary to evaluate extended burr holes in older children compared to their CT examinations.