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In medicine, a shunt is a device designed to drain excess cerebrospinal fluid from the brain and carry it to other parts of the body. A one-way valve is used, which usually sits outside the skull, but beneath the skin, somewhere behind the ear. A shunt is used in cases of Hydrocephalus. Medicine on the Web NLM (National Library of Medicine, contains resources for patients and healthcare professionals) Virtual Hospital (digital health sciences library by the University of Iowa) Online Medical Dictionary Collection of links to free medical resources Categories: Medicine | Health ...
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear bodily fluid that occupies the subarachnoid space in the brain (the space between the skull and the cerebral cortex—more specifically, between the arachnoid and pia layers of the meninges). ...
In the anatomy of animals, the brain, or encephalon, is the supervisory center of the nervous system. ...
A check valve is a mechanical device, a valve, that normally only allows fluid to flow through it in one direction. ...
For symbolic or mythic uses of the human skull, see Skull (symbolism) A Hippopotamuss skull A skull, or cranium, is a bony structure of vertebrates which serves as the general framework for a head. ...
Model of the layers of human skin In zootomy and dermatology, skin is an organ of the integumentary system; which is composed of a layer of tissues that protect underlying muscles and organs. ...
A left human ear. ...
Although a shunt generally works well, it may stop working if it disconnects, becomes blocked, or it is outgrown. If this happens the cerebrospinal fluid will begin to accumulate again and a number of physical symptoms will develop, some extremely serious, like seizures. Seizure - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ...
The shunt failure rate is also relatively high and it is not uncommon for patients to have multiple shunt revisions within their lifetime.
The diagnosis of cerebro-spinal buildup is complex and requires expertise.
The term shunt is also used to describe structural defects, allowing fluids to incorrectly flow from one part of the body to another. A rather common pathological shunt is the ventricular septum defect, allowing blood to flow from the left to the right ventricle through a hole in the septum, the muscular wall between the two ventricles. In the heart, a ventricle is a chamber which collects blood from an atrium (another heart chamber) and pumps it out of the heart. ...
Spitz-Holter
A common pediatric shunt is the Spitz-Holter shunt. The designer of the valve, John Holter, was unable to save his son Casey but his design, the Spitz-Holter valve/shunt, has helped millions around the world since the late 1950s. John Holter was a machinist working for the Yale and Town Lock Company. ...
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