Endoscopic Trans-Ventricular Route

The endoscopic trans-ventricular route is an option for patients with certain tumors and cysts within the ventricles: colloid cysts, gliomas, metastatic brain tumors and pineal region tumors.  This approach can help achieve the following:

• Alleviation of hydrocephalus by performing an endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV):
  • This decreases the necessity of ventriculoperitoneal shunt placement with its associated morbidity.
• Biopsy of tumor:
  • A subset of these tumors can be treated with a combination of chemotherapy and radiation and biopsy alone is sufficient in these cases.
• Tumor or cyst resection:
  • For most colloid cysts and select tumors, the lesion can be resected with the endoscopic instruments, decreasing the need for an open craniotomy.