Application of Sonography in the Diagnosis and Follow-Up of Trapped Temporal Horn of Lateral Ventricle: Two Case Reports

Trapped temporal horn of lateral ventricle (TTHLV) is a rare condition of isolated focal hydrocephalus. We report two cases with different presentations, etiologies, and surgical managements. The first case involved an extremely preterm male baby with a history of ventriculitis and intraventricular hemorrhage; he received external ventricle drainage twice due to obstructive hydrocephalus. TTHLV was detected by sonography. He received a ventriculoperitoneal shunt involving two catheters to bypass the adhesion site. There was no ventricular dilatation during 2 years of follow-up. The second case involved a term baby with an enlarged head; brain sonography revealed left focal hydrocephalus with TTHLV and mild midline shift. Neuroendoscopic cystoventriculostomy with fenestration from the left trigone to the frontal horn was performed and serial follow-up brain sonography for 3 months showed decreased ventricle size. The suitable surgical techniques for the management of TTHLV should be adjusted according to the patients' condition to obtain more favorable outcomes. Brain sonography can be a useful tool for the diagnosis and for following up the surgical outcomes in infants with TTHLV.