Percutaneous needle trephination for external CSF drainage: experience with 226 punctures.

We report on our experience with 226 percutaneous needle trephinations in a total of 192 consecutive patients. Trephination was performed with a hand-driven drill. A special puncture needle was inserted into the anterior horn of the lateral ventricle. The main indication for this procedure was the treatment of occlusive hydrocephalus in an emergency. Duration of drainage ranged from 1 to 34 days and was 7 days on the average. We encountered 14 cases of infection (6.2%) and one case of symptomatic bleeding (0.4%). All these complications eventually resolved without permanent sequelae. In our opinion, ventricle puncture with this device is a simple and effective method and can especially be recommended for external CSF drainage in cases of emergency.