A Case of Postoperative Tension Hydrocephalus in the Wound Cavity Following High-Grade Glioma

Objective: To investigate the causes and treatment methods of postoperative tension hydrocephalus in high-grade gliomas. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of one patient with high-grade glioma who developed tension hydrocephalus in the tumor cavity postoperatively. Results: The main causes of tension hydrocephalus in the tumor cavity of this patient were the formation of a unidirectional valve-like structure and the presence of "foreign bodies" within the cavity that created a high osmotic pressure, leading to a much slower absorption rate of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the tumor cavity compared to the inflow rate, resulting in tension hydrocephalus. The patient exhibited facial palsy and limb weakness five days postoperatively, and emergency surgery was performed to relieve the valve-like structure and remove the foreign bodies within the cavity, releasing CSF to reduce the pressure in the tumor cavity, with good recovery postoperatively. Discussion: High-grade glioma surgery should aim to minimize the formation of "valve" structures and the retention of foreign bodies and residual tissues within the tumor cavity.