TriangleFOR PATIENTS · SOURCE READING
Surgery to place a shunt
Source: Diffuse Intrinsic Pontine Glioma (DIPG), National Cancer Institute.
Source updated: January 9, 2025 · Captured 2026-09-09.
Selected source text with whitespace normalised. This Triangle page is not an NCI PDQ summary. Independent clinical review is pending.
Context: Types of treatment for DIPG
Sometimes children with a DIPG have increased fluid around the brain or spinal cord. They may need surgery to place a shunt (long, thin tube) in a ventricle (fluid-filled space) of the brain and thread it under the skin to another part of the body, usually the abdomen. The shunt carries extra fluid away from the brain so it may be absorbed elsewhere in the body. This decreases the fluid and pressure on the brain or spinal cord.
Preserved source evidence · Independent clinical review pending · Not medical advice