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Slit Ventricle Syndrome or Syndromes: Diagnosis and Management

  • Chapter
Pediatric Hydrocephalus

Abstract

The term “slit ventricle syndrome” (SVS) is widely used to describe a condition of severe, usually intermittent, headaches suffered by patients with longstanding ventricular shunting for hydrocephalus [15,16,20]. It is important to differentiate this condition from the smaller than normal, even almost nonexistent ventricles seen in some patients on routine imaging studies. The finding of radiographic slit ventricles occurs in at least 85% of children who are shunted and has been said to be a “goal” of shunting (M.L. Walker, personal communication, 1986). Most of these patients are asymptomatic and require no intervention. Only when patients begin to suffer from a severe headache disorder that interferes with their normal lives does the presence of radiographic slit ventricles lead to the diagnosis of the SVS.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatric Neurosciences, Division of Neurological Surgery, Barrow Neurological Institute, St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center, Phoenix, Arizona, USA

    Harold L. Rekate

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  1. Harold L. Rekate
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatric Neurosurgery, Santobono-Pausilipon Children’s Hospital, Naples, Italy

    Giuseppe Cinalli MD

  2. Pediatric Neurosurgery, Hôpital Necker-Enfants Malades, Paris, France

    Christian Sainte-Rose MD

  3. Pediatric Neurosurgery, Royal Children’s Hospital, Melbourne, Australia

    Wirginia June Maixner MD

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© 2005 Springer-Verlag Italia

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Rekate, H.L. (2005). Slit Ventricle Syndrome or Syndromes: Diagnosis and Management. In: Cinalli, G., Sainte-Rose, C., Maixner, W.J. (eds) Pediatric Hydrocephalus. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2121-1_23

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-2121-1_23

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Milano

  • Print ISBN: 978-88-470-2173-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-88-470-2121-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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