Cerebrospinal fluid diversion
Encyclopedia
Cerebrospinal fluid diversion is a procedure that is used to drain fluid from the brain
and spinal cord
. A shunt is placed in a ventricle of the brain and threaded under the skin to another part of the body, usually the abdomen
. It is used to treat hydrocephalus
and idiopathic intracranial hypertension
.
Brain
The brain is the center of the nervous system in all vertebrate and most invertebrate animals—only a few primitive invertebrates such as sponges, jellyfish, sea squirts and starfishes do not have one. It is located in the head, usually close to primary sensory apparatus such as vision, hearing,...
and spinal cord
Spinal cord
The spinal cord is a long, thin, tubular bundle of nervous tissue and support cells that extends from the brain . The brain and spinal cord together make up the central nervous system...
. A shunt is placed in a ventricle of the brain and threaded under the skin to another part of the body, usually the abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
. It is used to treat hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus
Hydrocephalus , also known as "water in the brain," is a medical condition in which there is an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles, or cavities, of the brain. This may cause increased intracranial pressure inside the skull and progressive enlargement of the head,...
and idiopathic intracranial hypertension
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension , sometimes called by the older names benign intracranial hypertension or pseudotumor cerebri , is a neurological disorder that is characterized by increased intracranial pressure in the absence of a tumor or other diseases...
.