4th ventricle question

[Guest guest]

Hi all. I've so appreciated this group of support!

I have a question about our son Austin, now soon to be 3. He has

chiari I originally when found was 11mm then six wks later for a pre-

op MRI to check for sm his chiari advanced to 17mm we now know due

to early skull fusion... He's had 2 decompressions ~ 2nd one cut

open the dura, shrunk the tonsils, and a small tube was inserted to

prevent hydrocephalus when the tonsils were shrunk, relating

swelling, etc. Then also had skull surgery to correct the fusion.

Anyhow, the early skull fusion we're afraid maybe an issue again.

He's having mostly the ICP signs we saw before the skull was fixed,

his brain has grown significantly, but the skull has hardly if any

at all. The CT scan was last Mon. to ck. on the skull/brain room

again, more early skull fusion, etc. However, because our local

ped. isn't totally sure what she's ordering =) she ordered both for

skull & chiari. I'm well aware that the chiari needs MRI ~ usually

CINE MRI. However, we received the radiology report today that

states the 4th ventricle is COLLAPSED. Seemed like an awfully

strong word. The 3rd ventricle is also noted to be small, but the

overall findings were the ventricles had not changed in size since

the last report in Feb. Which we'd asked DR. Carson about and he

said all was fine from Feb.'s report. We of course think the world

of him & his staff and are waiting word on it, however, the

ventricle note really bothered me and thought I'd bounce it off you

guys here if you've heard of that before ~ what it causes, what they

do for it, etc. The CT is also mentioning a " very tight " posterior

fossa and didn't on the last CT in Feb. It appears however that the

new skull issues are contributing to this as the back of his head is

changing shape, and looks as if the brain is carving out the back of

the skull like it did the front before his 1st skull surgery.

So ~ the posterior fossa question maybe something related more to

the other issue. Just was afraid of the 4th ventricle issue.

SOrry for rambling. Any insight would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Kaci

Ohio