[Microsurgical ventriculostomy of the third ventricle with access through a burrhole in the treatment of midly located deep-seated brain tumors].

BACKGROUND: Currently, endoscopic third ventriculostomy and simultaneous biopsy of deep midline brain tumors are a generally accepted option in neurooncology. Nevertheless, effectiveness of this surgery and diagnostic accuracy of biopsy are not without drawbacks. An alternative to endoscopic surgery may be simultaneous microsurgical third ventriculostomy and biopsy of deep midline tumors.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate effectiveness and safety of burr hole microsurgical third ventriculostomy in the treatment of deep midline brain tumors.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: We used transcortical (25 cases) and transcallosal (8 cases) approaches for microsurgical third ventriculostomy.

RESULTS: Initially scheduled biopsy was performed in 19 cases, partial resection in 6 cases, subtotal resection in 4 cases and total resection in 4 cases. All patients underwent microsurgical third ventriculostomy. In 12 cases, stenting of stoma was performed in addition to ventriculostomy. Biopsy was informative in all cases. Postoperative follow-up period ranged from 3 to 44 months (mean 29 months). There was no postoperative hydrocephalus and need for shunting procedure.

CONCLUSION: Burr hole microsurgery may be an alternative to endoscopic surgery for the treatment of pineal, periaqueductal and third ventricular tumors.