-excessive
accumulation of CSF in the brain resulting into ventricular widening
-Types:
congenital
and acquired;
communicating
and non- communicating (obstructive) hydrocephalus. One of he common cause of
hydrocephalus is aqueductal stenosis(non-communicating)
hydrocephalus
ex-vacuo and normal pressure hydrocephalus
-1 in every
500 children
-the infant
skull can expand to accommodate the buildup of CSF so can tolerate
hydrocephalus better than adults
-symptoms:
increase in head circumference( in children), vomiting,sleepiness,
irritability, downward deviation of eyes( sunsetting), seizures ,papilledema,
double vision ,urinary incontinence, lethargy, drowsiness, memory loss.
-symptoms of
normal pressure hydrocephalus: gait problem, urinary incontinence and dementia.(
very confused with Alzheimer’s disease, parkinson’s disease and
creutzfeldt-jakob disease)
-CT or MRI
for diagnosis
-Treatment:
surgical insertion of a shunt system
In few patients( third ventriculostomy)
-Complication
of a shunt system:
Mechanical
failure, infections, obstructions, need to lengthen or replace the catheter,
overdraining:
causes ventricles to collapse,subdural hematoma, slit ventricle syndrome
Underdraining:
symtoms persists
Prognosis:
Fully
recovered in some patients whereas reoccur in other patients. Complicated by
other health conditions