The efficacy and limitation of lumboperitoneal shunt in normal pressure hydrocephalus.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate whether the efficacy of the lumbar-peritoneal (LP) shunt is sustainable, we measured the outcomes of patients with idiopathic NPH (iNPH) preoperatively and postoperatively. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospective reviewed records of 58 patients with iNPH from 2013 to 2015. Exclusion of 7 patients expired, 1 patient shunt infection, and 8 patients was loss of follow-up. In the remaining 42 patients, the mood, talking response, movement, attention, recalling memory, and mini-mental state examination (MMSE), representing patient outcomes, were measured. All of whom were follow-up for 3 years. RESULTS: Mood (1.91 ±â€¯0.30), talking response (1.98 ±â€¯0.15), movement (1.71 ±â€¯0.51), attention (1.95 ±â€¯0.22), and recalling memory (1.86 ±â€¯0.35) were significantly improved after surgery (1 week;p <  0.0001). However, the indicators significantly declined after 3 years (mood: 0.31 ± 0.52, talking response: 0.50 ± 0.59, movement: 0.17 ± 0.38, attention: 0.40 ± 0.59, recalling memory: 0.21 ± 0.42). The MMSE was also significantly improved after 3 months of surgery (17.9 5 ± 2.80 vs. 25.02 ± 3.36; p <  0.0001). However, it declined after 3 years (17.83 ± 3.66; p = 0.83). CONCLUSION: The iNPH is considered potentially reversible. Our data supported that the LP shunt was efficient in the short term. However, the neurological degeneration was still progressive.