OPTIC GLIOMA - ASCITES FOLLOWING VENTRICU LOPERITONEAL SHUNTING

A 51/2 year-old girl with an optic glioma had a ventriculoperitoneal s hunt operation because of hydrocephalus internus at the age of 5 years : seven months after this operation she developed an ascites. Elevated protein levels could be detected in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and asc ites fluid. Results of CSF protein electrophoresis suggested a disturb ed blood-CSF barrier as the possible cause of the elevated protein lev el. The ascites most likely was a consequence of a poor peritoneal abs orption of the protein-rich CSF and resolved completely after converti ng the shunt to a ventriculoatrial system.