Table 2 The summary and characteristics of included studies

Di Rocco et al. 1977 [23]

18

1 to 10 years

LIT used to reappraise children with apparently arrested hydrocephalus, followed by monitoring of patients’ health

LIT produced results that differed from those obtained by lumbar puncture (LP) and was considered more effective in selecting patients requiring treatment than angiography

Caldarelli, Di Rocco, Rossi 1979 [24]

59

1 month to 15 years

Patients with suspected CSF disorders underwent diagnostic LIT to guide treatment decisions, followed by monitoring of patients’ health

Limited follow-up period, but LIT helped select patients requiring shunt surgery, especially in children with suspected hydrocephalus, suspected shunt malfunction and in cerebral atrophy

Shapiro, Marmarou, Shulman 1980 [25]

23 children + 7 adults

children 3 months to 14 years + adults

LIT measurements were conducted to observe age-related changes in Rout, PVI and CSF formation rate (If)

Rout and If values were similar in both children and adults, while PVI increased with age

Sklar et al. 1980 [26]

11

6 months to 9 years

Patients with previously diagnosed arrested hydrocephalus were reappraised using LIT

In 8/11 children, the LIT disagreed with traditional diagnostic tests, demonstrating its potential in this area

Di Rocco, Caldarelli, Di Trapani 1981 [27]

8

> 8 years

Children with obstructive hydrocephalus due to posterior fossa cysts were all treated based on their LIT results, followed by monitoring of their health

6/8 children had pathological LIT values that improved after surgery

Blomquist, Sundin, Ekstedt 1986 [28]

232 patients, 70 infusion tests

2 days to 15 years

LITs were conducted in children undergoing diagnostic processes in an effort to present physiological LIT values in “healthy” children and in specific syndromes

The study did not report patients’ treatment or subsequent development, making it difficult to judge the methods’ efficacy

Di Rocco et al. 1988 [29]

75

> 1 year

Patients with suspected CSF disorders underwent a diagnostic LIT to help inform further treatment, followed by monitoring of patients’ health

No follow-up and often provided ambiguous results, but did differentiate between progressive and arrested hydrocephalus

M. Czosnyka et al. 1988 [30]

24

1 to 14 years

Children with suspected CSF disorders underwent LIT to aid clinical decision making, while RAP was analysed as a potentially key diagnostic parameter

LIT aided in selecting patients requiring shunt treatment and RAP appeared to be validated as a useful indicator of the cerebrospinal systems’ compensatory capacity

M. Czosnyka et al. 1993 [31]

115

mean age of 3.5 years

Patients with ventricular enlargement were separated into 4 distinct cohorts based on CSFP and Rout with additional parameters analysed to help define future decision-making

LIT distinguished between arrested hydrocephalus, normal pressure hydrocephalus, obstructive hydrocephalus and acute malresorptive hydrocephalus; however, no follow-up on patients’ health was reported

Lundar 1994 [32]

14

3 to 19 years

Children with suspected shunt failure underwent LIT both with a shunt clamped and open to base further treatment on, followed by monitoring of patients’ health

Study reported postoperative improvement in patients, thereby supporting the use of the method in this population

Bech et al. 1999 [6]

3

> 2 years

LIT used to aid diagnostic decision-making, followed by monitoring of patients’ health

Small sample size, but all 3 children improved post treatment based off LIT results

Eide et al. 2001 [33]

28

5 to 91 months

Comparison of results between invasive ICP monitoring and LIT in children with suspected hydrocephalus or craniosynostosis

The two tests yielded discrepant results, which could be explained by large time period between the two tests

Munch et al. 2007 [34]

40

2 weeks to 13 years

Comparison of results between a ventricular and lumbar infusion test in children

The expected results were not observed, raising doubts about the efficacy of the methods in children

Krishnakumar et al. 2014 [22]

15

3–15 years

The value of the LIT in children with IIH was assessed within the context of a comprehensive diagnostic procedure

The study recommended the use of a LIT over the use of LP, particularly in borderline cases

Lalou et al. 2020 [10]

31

> 16 years

31 children with pseudotumor cerebri syndrome (PTCS) underwent LITs to identify markers characteristic of the disorder

Patients with definite PTCS were reported to have increased CSFP, amplitude, SSP and elasticity, with SSP and elasticity potentially serving as key markers in equivocal cases