Effect of surgical treatment on prognosis in preterm infants with obstructive hydrocephalus.

Objectives: To study the effect of surgical treatment on prognosis in preterm infants with obstructive hydrocephalus.
Methods: A retrospective analysis was performed on the medical data of 49 preterm infants with obstructive hydrocephalus. According to the treatment regimen, they were divided into two groups: surgical treatment ( n =12) and conservative treatment ( n =37). The drainage methods, drainage complications, and eventual shunt outcome were analyzed in the surgical treatment group. The two groups were compared in terms of the etiology of hydrocephalus and prognosis.
Results: Among the 49 preterm infants with obstructive hydrocephalus, severe intracranial hemorrhage (37 cases; 76%) and central nervous system infection (10 cases, 20%) were the main causes of hydrocephalus. There was no significant difference in the composition of etiology between the two groups ( P >0.05). In the surgical treatment group, 4 infants were treated with ventriculosubgaleal shunt and 8 were treated with Ommaya reservoir. One infant had secondary infection and 8 infants eventually underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The surgical treatment group had a significantly higher survival rate than the conservative treatment group ( P <0.05). As for the 37 preterm infants with severe intracranial hemorrhage, the surgical treatment group had a significantly higher proportion of infants with normal neurodevelopment than the conservative treatment group ( P <0.05). As for the 10 preterm infants with central nervous system infection, neurodevelopmental abnormalities were observed in each of the two groups.
Conclusions: Surgical treatment can improve the survival rate of preterm infants with obstructive hydrocephalus and the prognosis of preterm infants with severe intracranial hemorrhage.