Hydrocephalus after resection and adjuvant radiochemotherapy in patients with glioblastoma.

OBJECTIVE

Glioblastomas are the most common primary malignant brain tumors in adults with a poor prognosis. The current study sought to identify risk factors in glioblastoma patients that are closely associated with communicating hydrocephalus.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed data from 151 patients who were diagnosed with a glioblastoma between 2007 and 2011 and underwent complete surgical resection closely followed by adjuvant radiochemotherapy.

RESULTS

We observed a significant tendency toward communicating hydrocephalus in cases of ventricular opening during surgical tumor resection (Fisher's exact test p<0.001) and a noticeable, although not statistically significant, correlation between the onset of communicating hydrocephalus and evidence of leptomeningeal tumor dissemination (Fisher's exact test p=0.067). Additionally, there was a trend toward frontal tumor location and a larger tumor volume in patients with communicating hydrocephalus. The majority of patients suffering from communicating hydrocephalus received a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt implantation after radiation therapy (63.6%, Fisher's exact test p=0.000).

CONCLUSION

We identified the following risk factors associated with the onset of communicating hydrocephalus in glioblastoma patients: ventricular opening during tumor resection and leptomeningeal tumor dissemination. Shunt implantation seems to be safe and effective in these patients.