Dilated Ventricular System Flashcards
1
Q
S&S of dilated ventricular system
A
The triad of gait difficulty, urinary incontinence, and cognitive disturbances is highly suggestive of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a condition characterized by a pathological enlargement of the ventricles with normal opening pressure, typically diagnosed in patients over 60 years of age.
The clinical manifestations in NPH (broad-based shuffling gait, paratonia, hyperreflexia) are produced by the pressure that the enlarged ventricles put on the corona radiata and periventricular white matter tracts. Recognizing this condition in an early stage is important, as it is potentially reversible by shunting the cerebrospinal fluid circulation with a ventriculoperitoneal shunt.
