The authors report a case of a child with hypothalamic-origin pilocytic astrocytoma and hydrocephalus, which was refractory to treatment with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt due to high CSF protein content. With parental education, the child's hydrocephalus was managed long-term in the community with a long-tunnelled external ventricular drain, which was maintained by his parents. To the authors' knowledge this is the first report of this management option as a long-term measure. No harm has come to the patient. The authors propose long-term, long-tunnelled external ventricular drain as a viable treatment option for such patients.
Keywords: EVD = external ventricular drain; ICP = intracranial pressure; LTEVD = long-tunnelled EVD; RHSC = Royal Hospital for Sick Children; VP = ventriculoperitoneal; hydrocephalus; long-tunnelled external ventricular drain; parental education; pilocytic astrocytoma.