Intracerebral temperature in patients with hydrocephalus of varying aetiology

Brain temperature was measured at various depths beneath thepial surface in patients with hydrocephalus of varying aetiology. Temperature increased gradually with depth in all patients, with thehighest temperature found in the ventricle. The difference betweenintraventricular and rectal temperatures (Δv-r) was greater inpatients who underwent continuous ventricular drainage than in patientswho underwent ventriculoperitoneal shunt (continuous ventriculardrainage; 1.2 (SD 0.40)°C, mean (SD), n=5 vventriculoperitoneal shunt; 0.4 (SD 0.45)°C, n=16; p< 0.05). Thedifference between intracerebral and rectal temperatures (Δb2-r) wasalso greater in patients with continuous ventricular drainage than inpatients with ventriculoperitoneal shunt (continuous ventriculardrainage; 0.1 (SD 0.86)°C, n=5 v ventriculoperitonealshunt; −0.7 (0.86)°C, n=16; p< 0.05). Among patients with normalpressure hydrocephalus, these differences were greater in the patientswith better outcomes after shunt surgery than in the less improvedgroup (Δv−r; 0.7(SD 0.27)°C, n=7 v 0.1 (SD0.40)°C, n=5, p< 0.01, Δb2-r; −0.2 (SD 0.61)°C, n=7v−1.4 (0.90)°C, n=5, p< 0.01).