Child's nervous system : ChNS : official journal of the International Society for Pediatric Neurosurgery
-
Craniofacial procedures may be needed to address symptomatic intracranial hypertension. The authors review their institutional experience in the treatment of children with symptomatic increased intracranial pressure (ICP) utilizing craniofacial reconstructive procedures. ⋯ Using modern diagnostic and surgical techniques, including invasive ICP monitoring, increased intracranial pressure can be successfully managed by an experienced, multidisciplinary, craniofacial team. Our treatment paradigm and operative management scheme is discussed.
-
The purpose of the retrospective case series of eight consecutive patients is to call our attention to the optimal timing of decompressive craniectomy (DC) in children. ⋯ Considering the anamnestic data, it could be useful to perform DC at 20-22 mmHg ICP in young patients in order to prevent the potential of very fast brain swelling if there is no possibility to perform durotomy within 20 min after the onset of raising the ICP. It is especially considerable in poor countries where the emergency route could be less organized because of locations of building and extreme load of the staff. Further controlled trials are necessary to evaluate the indication and standardization of early decompressive craniectomy as a standard preventive therapy in pediatric severe traumatic brain swelling.