A new ventriculocisternal shunt technique in treatment of noncommunicating hydrocephalus: a technical note with a brief discussion of the literature.

Ventriculo-cisternostomy is an established procedure for the treatment of noncommunicating hydrocephalus, if the underlying pathology cannot be removed. In cases in which the foramina of Monro and the proximal part of the third ventricle are obstructed, it is not possible to make a communication between the internal and external CSF-spaces by perforation of the floor of the third ventricle, the so-called third ventriculo-cisternostomy. For such cases the authors describe a new method of drainage of both lateral ventricles to the interpeduncular cistern. This new method has been used successfully in a case with obstructive hydrocephalus of both lateral ventricles, caused by a pilocytic astrocytoma of the optic chiasma and hypothalamus with obstruction of both foramina of Monro.