Infantile nontumoral aqueductal stenosis.

A surgical series of 144 infantile triventricular hydrocephalus (from nontumoral aqueductal stenosis) operated on in the period 1957-1982 is presented. The etiological factors, preoperative clinical and anatomical status of the patients are summarized. Their surgical career, the reasons, for revision operations and causes of death are analyzed in relation to each of the four operations performed: ventriculocisternostomies according to Stookey-Scharff or Torkildsen, extrathecal shunts (VA or VP). 46 patients required 72 revision operations, but 23 more patients were lost to follow-up after the first operation. 3 patients (2.0%) died after the first operation, 7 (4.8%) on revision and 18 (12.5%) sometime later. A recent clinical and instrumental review of the physical, neurological and mental status of the remaining 93 patients (64.5% of the total series) has showed that 50 (34.8%) are well or very well; 35 (24.3%) have residual deficits, and 8 (5.4%) are severely handicapped.