The value of immediate post-operative routine CT related to uncomplicated ventricle drainage in childhood hydrocephalus

Retrospectively we assessed the value of routine post-operative CT scans in 113 children shunted for hydrocephalus. Of the 165 routine CT scans 13 showed fortuitous findings (=8%) with a change in treatment accompanied by questionable benefits in only 2 (=1.3%). Therefore we suggest that post-operative CT should not be performed as a routine examination but only on clinical grounds.