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cerebrospinal fluid diversion

(seh-REE-broh-SPY-nul FLOO-id dih-VER-zhun)
A process that uses a shunt (a long, thin tube) to drain extra cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) that has built up around the brain or spinal cord. The shunt is placed in a ventricle (fluid-filled space) of the brain or in a fluid-filled space between the thin layers of tissue around the spinal cord. It is then threaded under the skin to another part of the body, usually the abdomen, heart, or space between the chest wall and the lungs. The shunt carries extra CSF away from the brain or spinal cord so it may be absorbed elsewhere in the body. This decreases the fluid and pressure on the brain or spinal cord.
Drawing shows extra cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flowing through a shunt (a long, thin tube) from a ventricle (fluid-filled space) in the brain into the abdomen. The shunt goes from the ventricle, under the skin in the neck and chest, and into the abdomen. Also shown is a shunt valve that controls the flow of CSF.Enlarge this image in new window
A cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunt (a long, thin tube) carries extra CSF away from the brain so it may be absorbed elsewhere in the body. The shunt is placed in a ventricle (fluid-filled space) in the brain and threaded under the skin to another part of the body, usually the abdomen. The shunt has a valve that controls the flow of CSF.
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