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Hydrocephalus
| Hydrocephalus | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Water on the brain[1] |
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| Hydrocephalus as seen on a CT scan of the brain. The black areas in the middle of the brain (the lateral ventricles) are abnormally large and filled with fluid. | |
| Pronunciation | |
| Specialty | Neurosurgery |
| Symptoms | Babies: rapid head growth, vomiting, sleepiness, seizures[1] Older people: Headaches, double vision, poor balance, urinary incontinence, personality changes, mental impairment[1] |
| Causes | Neural tube defects, meningitis, brain tumors, traumatic brain injury, brain bleed during birth, intraventricular hemorrhage[1] |
| Diagnostic method | Based on symptoms and medical imaging[1] |
| Treatment | Surgery[1] |
| Prognosis | Variable, often normal life[1] |
| Frequency | Varies throughout the world, from 1 per 256 live births to 1 per 9,000, depending on access to prenatal health care, prenatal tests, and abortion[1][3] |
Hydrocephalus is a condition in which cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) builds up within the brain, which can cause pressure to increase in the skull.[4] Symptoms may vary according to age. Headaches and double vision are common. Elderly adults with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) may have poor balance, difficulty controlling urination, or mental impairment.[4] In babies, there may be a rapid increase in head size. Other symptoms may include vomiting, sleepiness, seizures, and downward pointing of the eyes.[1]
Hydrocephalus can occur due to birth defects (primary) or can develop later in life (secondary).[1] Hydrocephalus can be classified via mechanism into communicating, noncommunicating, ex vacuo, and normal pressure hydrocephalus. Diagnosis is made by physical examination and medical imaging, such as a CT scan.[1]
Hydrocephalus is typically treated through surgery. One option is the placement of a shunt system.[1] A procedure called an endoscopic third ventriculostomy has gained popularity in recent decades, and is an option in certain populations.[4] Outcomes are variable, but many people with shunts live normal lives.[1] However, there are many potential complications, including infection or breakage.[4] There is a high risk of shunt failure in children especially.[4] However, without treatment, permanent disability or death may occur.[1]
Hydrocephalus affects about 0.1-0.6% of newborns.[4] Rates in the developing world may be higher.[5] Normal pressure hydrocephalus affects about 6% of patients over 80.[4] Description of hydrocephalus by Hippocrates dates back more than 2,000 years.[5] The word hydrocephalus is from the Greek ὕδωρ, hydōr, meaning 'water' and κεφαλή, kephalē, meaning 'head'.[6]
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "Hydrocephalus Fact Sheet". National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). April 5, 2016. Archived from the original on 27 July 2016. Retrieved 5 September 2016.
- ^ "Hydrocephalus". Collins. Retrieved 1 April 2020.
- ^ Stevenson DK, Benitz WE (2003). Fetal and Neonatal Brain Injury: Mechanisms, Management and the Risks of Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. p. 117. ISBN 9780521806916. Archived from the original on 2016-12-21.
- ^ a b c d e f g Hochstetler A, Raskin J, Blazer-Yost BL (September 2022). "Hydrocephalus: historical analysis and considerations for treatment". European Journal of Medical Research. 27 (1): 168. doi:10.1186/s40001-022-00798-6. PMC 9434947. PMID 36050779.
- ^ a b Ellenbogen RG, Abdulrauf SI, Sekhar LN (2012). Principles of Neurological Surgery. Elsevier Health Sciences. p. 105. ISBN 978-1-4377-0701-4.
- ^ Dorland's electronic medical dictionary (29th ed.). W.B. Saunders Co. 2000. ISBN 9780721694931.
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