Ventriculoscopic Approach for Intraventricular Neurocysticercosis: A Single Neurosurgical Center's Experience.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To retrospectively analyze patients with intraventricular neurocysticercosis (NCC) who underwent a ventriculoscopic approach at a single neurosurgical center and assess the efficacy of this treatment in patients with intraventricular NCC. METHODS: Patients with intraventricular NCC patients who underwent surgery via a ventriculoscopic approach between January 2008 and March 2014 at Beijing Tiantan Hospital were analyzed. RESULTS: A total of 21 patients with intraventricular NCC (15 men and 6 women; mean age, 38.0 ± 16.8 years; range, 9-65 years) were enrolled in the study. Ten of the patients underwent complete resection. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 53.7 months (95% confidence interval, 31.7-75.6 months). On univariate analysis, PFS was better in the patients who underwent total NCC resection compared with those who underwent nontotal resection (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The ventriculoscopic approach to NCC resection is an effective technique with unique advantages for intraventricular NCC. Radical resection is necessary for intraventricular NCC. Combined application of rigid and flexible endoscopes can improve the total removal rate of intraventricular NCC.