Comment on, "Superb microvascular ultrasound is a promising non-invasive diagnostic tool to assess a ventriculoperitoneal shunt system function: a feasibility study".

Abstract

This study by Brawanski et al. (2024) contributes significantly to neurosurgery by assessing ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS) function using superb microvascular ultrasound (SMI). The authors provide a thorough evaluation of SMI as a novel, non-invasive diagnostic tool, demonstrating its effectiveness in detecting cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow within VPS systems. By focusing on asymptomatic hydrocephalus patients, the study offers a less invasive alternative to traditional diagnostic methods, potentially reducing the need for exploratory surgeries. However, the study could have been strengthened by exploring the variability of SMI measurements under different physiological conditions and including symptomatic patients. Additionally, further analysis of the long-term reliability of SMI is needed. Future research should expand the study's scope to assess SMI's diagnostic capabilities across varied conditions and explore its integration with other non-invasive techniques, thereby enhancing its clinical utility in managing hydrocephalus and VPS functionality.