Use of EOS Low-Dose Biplanar X-Ray for Shunt Series in Children with Hydrocephalus: A Preliminary Study

Liat Ben-Sira, Shelly I. Shiran, Li tal Pratt, Ronit Precel, Dror Ovadia, Shlomi Constantini, Jonathan Roth*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

4 Scopus citations

Abstract

Introduction: Shunt series (SS) are a common diagnostic tool used to verify shunt integrity. SS include X-ray films of the skull, chest, and abdomen and often are performed either when a shunted patient presents with suspected shunt malfunction or as a screening test to identify shunt disconnections or dislodgment. EOS low-dose biplanar X-rays are associated with significantly reduced radiation doses compared with ordinary X-rays and are used for various indications. This is the first publication on the use of EOS as a SS technique. Methods: Over a period of 6 months, EOS were performed at our center for various orthopedic indications, mostly for scoliosis evaluation. Nine children (<20 years of age) had a ventriculoperitoneal shunt and served as the study group. We retrospectively reviewed shunt visibility and integrity in the EOS scans as well as regular SS or plain spinal X-rays. Results: Three patients had bilateral shunts, and 8 had previous X-rays for comparison. In all patients, the shunt integrity was easily demonstrated on the EOS images. Two patients had an identified shunt disconnection confirmed on the EOS images. No shunt-related information was missed on the EOS compared with the other X-ray images. Conclusions: These preliminary results suggest that EOS may be used as an alternative technology to demonstrate shunt integrity instead of regular X-ray SS. Favorable shunt visibility without the need for multiple radiation exposures and image processing (such as stitching) results in a significantly shorter examination time and significant less radiation.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)e273-e277
JournalWorld Neurosurgery
Volume116
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 2018

Keywords

  • EOS biplanar X-ray
  • Hydrocephalus
  • Low-dose
  • Radiation
  • Shunt series

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