Changes in the brainstem evoked responses following jugular vein ligation.
Yung MW, Soliman AM.
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Liverpool.
Blockage of both jugular veins is often followed by signs of intracranial hypertension. The use of brainstem evoked responses (BSER) in the detection of brainstem compression following jugular vein ligation in guinea pigs was studied. Thirty pigmented guinea pigs were studied. Unilateral jugular vein ligation was performed in 10 animals and bilaterally in 10. Ten animals were controls. The BSER to clicks at 20 db above hearing thresholds before and 6 hours following ligation of one or both jugular veins were recorded. No change in the hearing threshold was observed following jugular vein(s) ligation. However, prolongation of the I-III and III-IV interpeak intervals were observed following both unilateral and bilateral jugular vein ligation. The results suggest that BSER monitoring may be useful in the early detection of brainstem compression following jugular vein ligation in head and neck surgery.
Research was done on rabbits.
If there was cooperation between neurologists and interventional radiologists, research using BSER monitoring could be done before and after venoplasty. It might be possible to show a post-treatment reduction in brainstem compression, if such a reduction occurs. Could it predict who would be most likely to have a 'wow' response to venoplasty?