Congenital Disorders

Question 1

Microcephaly

Answer 1

Symptom: head smaller than normal, seizures, movement and balance difficulty
Causes: developmental problems during pregnancy, cease growth after birth
Treatment: nil

Question 2

Craniosynostosis

Answer 2

Symptom: abnormal shape of skull, developmental delays, blindness, icp increase
Causes: premature fusion of the skull

Question 3

Cerebral palsy

Answer 3

Symptoms: difficulty with movement, balance and posture, sometimes intellectual difficulty
Causes: abnormal brain development or damage to developing brain, brain hypoxia, meningitis
Treatment: physical, occupational and speech therapy, orthotics, medication

Question 4

Types of cerebral palsy

Answer 4

Spastic: stiff muscles, damage to motor cortex
Diskinetic: uncontrolled movements, damage to basal ganglia
Ataxic: problems with balance & coordination, damage to cerebellum

Question 5

Chiari malformation

Answer 5

Symptoms: dizziness, muscle weakness, vision problems, headaches, indented bony space at base of skull
Type 1: cerebellum pushed into foremen magnum. Type 2: cerebellum and brain stem pushed into foremen magnum. Type 3: cerebellum and brain stem pushed through foremen magnum into spinal cord, interfering with CSF flow.
Causes: section of skull containing cerebellum is too small or deformed
Treatment: posterior fossa decompression, electrocautary , spinal laminectomy

Question 6

Hydrocephalus

Answer 6

Symptoms: enlarged ventricles and abnormally large skull in babies
Causes: oversecretion of CSF, impaired absorption of CSF, obstruction of CSF pathway
Treatment: ventriculoperitoneal shunt, endoscopic 3rd ventriculostomy (hole in 3rd ventricle to interpenduncular septum)