Week 11: Hydrocephalus Flashcards
Types of hydrocephalus
Non-communicating
Communicating
Acquired
Congenital
Causes of hydrocephalus
Intra-ventricular hemorrage Neural tube defect Brain tumor Meningitis Traumatic brain injury CSF flow obstruction Impaired CSF absorption
Non communicating hydrocephalus
Usually develops from abnormalities in fetal development
Obstructive hydrocephalus
Blockage of flow of CSF through the ventricle system
Hydrocephalus is a condition in which excess ___ accumulates in the skull, compressing the __ ___ and ____ ____. There is ____ enlargement and increased ____ ______
CSF Brain tissue Blood vessels Ventricular Inter cranial pressure
Communicating hydrocephalus
Impaired absorption causes the increase pressure of CSF
CM of hydrocephalus (adult)
Depends on age r/t skull development
Impaired motor and cognitive function
CM of hydrocephalus in Neonates
sutures of skull not closed so
enlarged head
fontanels bulge
scalp veins dialated, sunset eyes, sluggish pupillary response to light
lethargy, irritability, difficult to feed
Signs and sx of hydrocephalus in adults
Increased BP Altered HR Headache Vomiting Decreased LOC Pupil edema Decreased memory and coordination Urinary incontinence
Dx hydrocephalus
Measure head circumference
Transillumination
CT and MRI
Trans-illumination
Light penetrates into the skull. If there is excess CSF, light scatters into different parts of the skull producing patterns characteristic of hydrocephalus
Cushing’s triad
Signs of increased ICP
- HTN
- bradycardia (slow hr)
- Widening pulse pressure
Treatment of hydrocephalus
Surgery to remove obstruction or provide a shunt from the ventricle into the peritoneal cavity or another extra cranial site like the heart
