[Extremely low-birth-weight infant with post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus: surgical procedure and recognition by...

In two infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit with birth-weight of less than 1,000 g, serial cranial real-time sonograms were obtained to determine the subependymal germinal matrix hemorrhage and follow up the post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus, compared with computerized tomographic scan. This paper reports the results of the placement of a subcutaneous ventricular reservoir in these extremely low-birth-weight infants to resolve progressive post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus and protect their cortical mantle until their risks of ventriculo-peritoneal shunting procedure are acceptable. In these infants, the hydrocephalus and increased intracranial pressure were controlled and following shunting procedure after their medical and anesthetic problems resolved.