Determination of CSF shunt patency with a lumbar infusion test

Abstract

✓ The authors report on the potential role of the lumbar infusion technique in the determination of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt patency. The test was performed in a series of 12 patients and reliably predicted shunt patency. This method of assessment proved to be superior to computerized tomography scanning because of its ability to demonstrate the CSF dynamics rather than the ventricular size.