Calcification on the brain following many shunt surgeries?

[Lauren88]

Hi guys

I had an apt today with a neurologist I was booked to see ages ago because of the d@mn pulsating I have (this was before the shunt blocked and ETV was done.) Anyhow, most of the time I talked with the registrar but the neurologist was in the next room, he looked at my scans and said there was calcification (I think) on the dura (he described it as being between my brain and my skull) which he figured was from all the surgeries I have had. He said that might have something to do with why the pulsating has kicked off (started after a looong bout of surgeries ending with an infection and 1 shunt replaced in 2001.) Any thoughts on that? is calcification like scar tissue? I think he may also have thought about Arnold Chiari Malformation (I presume that is what he meant - what he said sounded like AVM to me but must have been ACM right? but he didn't seem to think that was likely, and I'm not a neurologist or an NS but apart from the pulsating and a couple of random 'episodes' a while ago (felt dizzy, out of it, went really white and sounds got more intense, only lasted a few mins but was tired after - get to the hospital - lo and behold - recovered! :rolleyes: ) I feel OK.

Anybody got any thoughts on the calcification part? The downside is I got discharged from him today since I'm 18 :( - apparently NSs will still see you when you are an adult but not neuros :rolleyes: He is going to get together with other NSs and discuss me though I think - so I should hear something

Just thought I would throw it out there. It was a relief in a way because even if this calcification is like scar tissue, i.e. something you can't do anything about, it's like at least there is SOMETHING, and it's not just in my head (no pun intended) know what I mean?

Thanks guys

[Nat Hyland]

Hi Lauren,

In response to your question, this is quite a possibility. And not only through numerous surgeries. The dura is one layer of the meninges (there are three - dura, pia and the arachnoid in the middle). The reason why meningitis causes hydro (like mine is) is because the meninges become damaged, and if they are damaged sufficiently, they can no longer do their job of absorbing csf.

What caused your hydro again? Was it from a haemorrhage? A haemorrhage also causes scarring of the meninges, which can again cause hydro.

Does that explain things a bit?

Nat.

[Lauren88]

Hi Nat

Thanks fror your reply - yes that does make sense, my hydro was from an IVH. What is confusing about me is that up until I was 12/13 I needed 2 shunts to drain all of the CSF, then after LOTS of blockages and an infection in 2001 they scanned me and said that some of it had 'disappeared' so I only needed 1 shunt. Could it be that some of the scar tissue had healed, so it was draining again? Also I hear that IVH patients are not usually candidates for ETVs - I wasn't until September - but mine has been successful (so far ;) ) the fact that my hydrocephalus seems to change - even for the better - is confusing. My symptoms were different from the 'norm' for me when the shunt blocked in Sept - headache was bad but not as bad as I'm used to, only vomited once in 3 days before diagnosis/ETV - usually it's immediate and repetitive - and my major symptom was vision loss - my eyes were jumping around (do you call that nystagmus?) and by the time I got to the hospital my right eye had stopped reacting. (My shunt is on my right side - when I said I wanted to try the ETV the NS just left it in me, presumably didn't want to risk infection.) Do you have input on that? Usually for me vision is the last to go - I had double vision by the time I got to surgery in 1999 but that was after a year of undiagnosed intermittent blockage.

Thanks for your thoughts - you seem very knowledgeable. I'm SO glad I found this place, could have used it MUCH earlier lol :D

'

[Austinsmom]

Austin has Calcification on the brain, I do not know that it caused any extra troubles, Austin's is from having meningitis, and these infection scars blocked off areas in Austin's brain causing hydrocephalus, it has been noted often in CT's it got worse at one point.
also Austin has had calcium build up on his shunt line that was pretty bad, you could see it under his skin, if it is not causing problems don’t worry to much about it, but ask your NS next visit, knowledge is power
here is a site I checked out http://www.pediatriconcall.com/forpatients/querylook/Brain_calcifications.asp
Hope this helps a bit
Deborah

[Nat Hyland]

of their symptoms. My good friend Matthew, who also has hydro, but due to a heamorrhage, has quite "minor" symptoms (if there is such a thing!) when he has a shunt problem. Nothing like the shockingly awful unmistakable headaches and vomitting that I get, which get worse very quickly. I must say I don't usually notice eye problems - I'm probably unconscious before that happens!

I AM surprised that you've had an ETV after a heamorrhage. It is not usually an option. The other reason that non-functioning shunts are not pulled out is because they are usually so "stuck" (by calcification) that pulling them out could cause a bleed. So they usually just leave them in. I have two non-functioning top-ends in my head - as well as the functioning one of course!

Nat.

[Lauren88]

Thanks for the replies guys. I'm doing well at the moment so I'm trying not to stress too much about what-ifs - I'm glad I'm not alone with the calcification business though. I suppose my main fear is if the hydro just 'randomly' got better could it get worse again? At least with 2 shunts for 10 years I knew where I stood - I don't like all this confusion and change! lol
But like I said I'm doing well now, must learn to live in the moment more :rolleyes:

Thanks for the support guys