Significance of postshunt asymmetries

Ventricular asymmetries after shunt surgery were studied. Right and left ventricular areas from pre- and postoperative computerized tomography scans were measured with a computer digitizing technique, and the respective areas were expressed as a ratio. Measurements were made from the scans of 15 hydrocephalic children selected at random. Ages at surgery ranged from 2 weeks to 10.5 years. The time interval between surgery and the postoperative scan ranged from 1 to 101 weeks. The results indicate a significantly greater decrease in ventricular size on the side of the ventricular shunt catheter. Multiple regression analysis showed no relationshp between the magnitude of change in ventricular size and either the patients' ages or the time intervals between surgery and follow-up scans. Possible mechanisms for these postshunt ventricular asymmetries are discussed.