The authors analized the clinical evolution and the mortality of fifty seven children with
hydrocephalus due to congenital malformation (41.1%),
meningitis (36.8%) and
tumors (21.1%), that were submitted to surgical treatment for
hydrocephalus, from 1970 to 1980. Insertions of
ventriculostomy reservoir and of external ventricular drainage were satisfactory used to control the expanding
hydrocephalus in children with
meningitis, that wait insertion of the valve. The use of hypothalamic
ventriculostomy with
catheter has showed satisfactory results in the treatment of children with
hydrocephalus due to non inflammatory origin. Ventriculoatrial shunts were utilized in few cases but were useful in the treatment of
hydrocephalus in children. The operative mortality rate was 25.7%.
Ventriculoperitoneal shunts showed good results in the treatment of
hydrocephalus in 89.4% of the cases in the immediate post-
operative time and this number drop to 88.2% at the eighteen post-operative month. The overall mortality rate was 34%. At the end of the third post-operative month 27.3% of the survivors of the children with
hydrocephalus due to congenital malformation and
meningitis submitted to
ventriculoperitoneal shunts showed normal neuromotor development and at the end of the second post-operative year this number increased to 50%. The operative mortality rate in this group was 25% and the majority of death occurred due to
meningitis.