Histological analysis of the third ventricle floor in hydrocephalic and nonhydrocephalic brains: application to neuroendocrine complications following third ventriculostomy procedures.

OBJECT: Endocrine dysfunction following endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV) is rare, but it has been reported. In the present study the authors sought to determine the histological nature of the floor of the third ventricle in hydrocephalic brains to better elucidate this potential association.
METHODS: Five adult cadaveric brains with hydrocephalus were examined. Specifically, the floors of the third ventricle of these specimens were studied histologically. Age-matched controls without hydrocephalus were used for comparison.
RESULTS: Although it was thinned in the hydrocephalic brains, the floor of the third ventricle had no significant difference between the numbers of neuronal cell bodies versus nonhydrocephalic brains.
CONCLUSIONS: Although uncommon following ETV, endocrine dysfunction has been reported. Based on the present study, this is most likely to be due to the injury of normal neuronal cell bodies found in this location, even in very thinned-out tissue.