Hydrocephalus

Question 1

What is hydrocephalus

Answer 1

Hydrocephalus is defined as the buildup/accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain

Question 2

Mechanism of Hydrocephalus list them

Answer 2

• (i) Excess production
  (ii) Decreased absorption,
  (iii) impaired CSF flow

Question 3

What are the types of hydrocephalus

Answer 3

*OBSTRUCTIVE/NON-
COMMUNICATING HYDROCEPHALUS: is caused by a CSF-flow obstruction causes . RCH infections, aqueductal stenosis, Dandy-walker syndrome, Arnold chiari malformation, (Acquired) subarachnoid hemorrhage, medulloblastoma, astrocytoma
* NON OBSTRUCTIVE/
COMMUNICATING HYDROCEPHALUS: caused by impaired C S reabsorption in the absence of any obstruction of CSF flow
between the ventricles and subarachnoid
space.
C a u s e s : Bacterial meningitis, TB meningitis, radiation exposure, choroid plexus papilloma, leukemia

Question 4

Clinical features of hydrocephalus

Answer 4

• inspection): enlarged head, craniofacial disproportion,
• sunset eyeappearance,
• dilated scalp veins,
• high pitched cry, irritability
• Auscultation) cranial bruit
• (palpation) trans-illumination, bulging fontanelle, sutural diastasis

Question 5

INVESTIGATIONS and their signs

Answer 5

• skull X-ray) intracranial calcifications,
• MRI) lytic lesions,
• CT) dilated (butterfly) ventricles,
• transfontanelle ultrasound) hemorrhage, enlarged ventricular s y s t e m

Question 6

T r e a t m e n t :of hydrocephalus pharmacology and surgical

Answer 6

• pharmacology - loop diuretics (furosemide), acetazolamide
• Surgery- shunting (ventriculo-peritoneal, ventriculo-jugular, ventriculo-ventricular, ventriculo-cisternal, ventriculo-atrial)

Question 7

Complications of hydrocephalus

Answer 7

*delayed developmental milestones, *speech problems,
*seizures etc.