Objective      To investigate the changes of intracranial pressure (ICP) and its clinical significance in the children with hydrocephalus who treated by different surgeries.       Methods      Clinical data of 29 children with hydrocephalus receiving surgical treatment in our department of neurosurgery from January 2011 to December 2012 were collected in this study and retrospectively analyzed. Fourteen of them underwent ventriculo-peritoneal shunt surgery

and the other 15 received endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV). The ICP values in perioperative period were continuously monitored in all patients by brain parenchymatype ICP probe before and after surgery (ranging from 72 to 168 h)

and recorded for its clinical significance.       Results      ICP value were significantly declined postoperatively when compared with the preoperative value in all the patients (P0.05). Results of postoperative continuous monitoring indicated that the changes of postoperative ICP were significantly different between the 2 surgery groups. ICP showed a continuous declining trend in the shunt surgery group

however the pressure rise rapidly after surgery and then decreased slowly in the ETV group. ICP of programmable valve subgroup returned to almost preoperative level within 24 h

and gradually decreased to the level of the setting pressure within 120 h thereafter. There was a transient high intracranial pressure in ETV group within 24 to 48 h postoperatively

and this process was significant and longer lasting in tumors secondary to hydrocephalus subgroup than in congenital hydrocephalus subgroup.       Conclusion      ICP monitoring can accurately reflect intracranial pressure change in the children with hydrocephalus

and postoperative continuous monitoring may help to accurately determine the surgical effect of ETV.