Long-term ICP Recording

Figure hydr_6a_n.jpg and hydr_6b_n.jpg: The intracranial pressure (ICP) proceeds parallelly with the intraventricular pressure. Epidural long-term registration of the ICP awake and asleep in a schoolchild with arrested shunt-independant hydrocephalus ( hydr_6a_n.jpg) and with progressive hydrocephalus ( hydr_6b_n.jpg). In contrast to the former child with a basal pressure of around 10 mm mercury, and no distinct episodic pressure increases during sleep, the basal pressure is higher than 10 mm mercury in the child with hydrocephalus, and distinct episodic pressure increases may be observed during sleep (upper curve with the mean values every 15 minutes). The lower line shows parts of the curve (--*--) with maximum, mean and minimum values every 15 minutes (columns) during sleep. Notice A-waves between hour 0045 and 0100. Because the basal pressure may be normal in long-standing hydrocephalus, continuous 24-hour ICP measurements are necessary in selected cases to determine the shunt-dependency.