Do we need ventriculography in the era of computed tomography?

Abstract

The question is posed whether in the investigation of intracranial tumors, particularly in the posterior cranial fossa, CT and/or ventriculography should be practiced. We investigated 134 patients (93 were children up to the age of 14 years), all of whom had had both computed tomography and ventriculography. The results clearly demonstrate the superiority of CT compared with ventriculography. Ventriculography is a surgical intervention with risk for the patient; side effects may occur and serious complications can sometimes arise. Modern CT is producing pictures of high quality which are entirely sufficient for neurosurgical intervention. Very rarely does additional angiography have to be performed. The diagnosis of intracranial tumor can be fully established by CT and ventriculography is no longer necessary.