Which regional route delivers chemotherapy to the brain's ventricular system?

Which regional route delivers chemotherapy to the brain's ventricular system?

• A. Intraarterial
• B. Intraperitoneal
• C. Intrathecal
• D. Intraventricular

Answer: (D)

Delivering chemotherapy to the brain’s ventricular system means placing the drug directly into the cerebrospinal fluid inside the ventricles. This is done with the intraventricular route, usually through an implanted catheter and reservoir (such as an Ommaya reservoir) that reaches the lateral ventricle. By injecting straight into the ventricular CSF, the drug achieves high local concentrations where tumor cells can be present in the CSF pathways, while limiting systemic exposure. Other routes don’t target the ventricles specifically: delivering via arteries (intraarterial) goes through brain tissue and encounters the blood-brain barrier with variable penetration; injecting into the CSF via the intrathecal route goes into the subarachnoid space (typically by lumbar puncture) and relies on CSF circulation to reach the ventricles; injecting into the peritoneal cavity (intraperitoneal) has no CNS access.

Delivering chemotherapy to the brain’s ventricular system means placing the drug directly into the cerebrospinal fluid inside the ventricles. This is done with the intraventricular route, usually through an implanted catheter and reservoir (such as an Ommaya reservoir) that reaches the lateral ventricle. By injecting straight into the ventricular CSF, the drug achieves high local concentrations where tumor cells can be present in the CSF pathways, while limiting systemic exposure.

Other routes don’t target the ventricles specifically: delivering via arteries (intraarterial) goes through brain tissue and encounters the blood-brain barrier with variable penetration; injecting into the CSF via the intrathecal route goes into the subarachnoid space (typically by lumbar puncture) and relies on CSF circulation to reach the ventricles; injecting into the peritoneal cavity (intraperitoneal) has no CNS access.