Ventriculoscope

An optical, surgical instrument that is passed through the brain substance, via a burr holeA small hole, usually about 15 to 20mm in diameter, which is drilled through the skull, using either a hand-held bit and brace or, more often these days, an electrically or pneumatically powered drill. Several different types of neurosurgical procedures can be carried out through a burr hole, including placement of shunt catheters and passage of a ventriculoscope. in the skull, and into the ventriclesThe brain is not an entirely solid organ. There are chambers within the brain, referred to as ventricles or, more correctly, cerebral ventricles, to distinguish them from the ventricles of the heart. They represent the remnants of the central canal of the developing central nervous system, although they have taken on a much more complex shape than the original embryonic structure. There are four in total, one each side of the midline (referred to as the lateral ventricles) and two more, in the midline, referred to as the third and fourth ventricles, albeit often using Roman numerals. of the brain. Abnormal tissues may be biopsied (sampled), internal channels may be created to by-pass obstructions, or shuntA shunt shifts one object, or volume of fluid (or gas or electrical current), from one place to another. In the context of neurosurgical practice we are considering cerebrospinal fluid, which is diverted from the ventricles of the brain, or the spinal theca, into another part of the body, most often the peritoneal cavity. tubing may be positioned – or sometimes removed.