Isosorbide in the medical management of hydrocephalus in children with myelodysplasia.

Fourteen children with hydrocephalus associated with myelodysplasia were given isosorbide (8 to 12 g/kg/day) and compared with 17 children managed without it. Three of the treated and three of the untreated children did not require shunting. The mean interval between back closure and shunt placement was 33 days for the controls and 115 days for the treated children. Two of the treated children developed gastro-intestinal symptoms that necessitated withdrawal of the isosorbide. Although isosorbide did extend the interval between back closure and shunt placement, its side-effects and the availability of alternative treatments render it unsuitable for the management of hydrocephalus in children with myelodysplasia.