Ommaya reservoir

In this article, Ommaya reservoir will be addressed from a global and open perspective, with the purpose of providing a comprehensive vision on this topic. Its importance, implications and possible challenges currently facing will be analyzed. Likewise, different approaches and points of view will be examined, in order to offer a panoramic view that allows readers to deeply understand the relevance of Ommaya reservoir in different contexts. Through an exhaustive analysis, we will seek to contribute to the debate and reflection on this topic, with the intention of providing new perspectives and enriching knowledge around Ommaya reservoir.

Ommaya reservoir
Schematic of an already-implanted Ommaya reservoir.
Specialtyneurology
Scalp of a patient with an Ommaya reservoir.
Dr. Ommaya handling his reservoir.

An Ommaya reservoir is an intraventricular catheter system that can be used for the aspiration of cerebrospinal fluid or for the delivery of drugs (e.g. chemotherapy) into the cerebrospinal fluid. It consists of a catheter in one lateral ventricle attached to a reservoir implanted under the scalp. It is used to treat brain tumors, leukemia/lymphoma or leptomeningeal disease by intrathecal drug administration. In the palliative care of terminal cancer, an Ommaya reservoir can be inserted for intracerebroventricular injection (ICV) of morphine.

It was originally invented in 1963 by Ayub K. Ommaya, a Pakistani-American neurosurgeon.

In January 2017, researchers at University of Texas Southwestern Medical Centre used an Ommaya reservoir to measure the intracranial pressure that is regularly observed in astronauts in zero-gravity conditions.

References

  1. ^ Leonidas C. Goudas et al.: Acute Decreases in Cerebrospinal Fluid Glutathione Levels after Intracerebroventricular Morphine for Cancer Pain, International Anesthesia Research Society 1999
  2. ^ "Intracranial pressure could be key to tackling astronaut vision loss". newatlas.com. 2017-01-20. Retrieved 2017-09-21.
  3. ^ "Under Pressure: Why Spaceflight Is So Hard on Astronauts' Eyes". Space.com. Retrieved 2017-09-21.
  4. ^ "Why astronauts suffer from vision problems decoded". deccanchronicle.com/. 2017-01-18. Retrieved 2017-09-21.