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What is Hydrocephalus? |
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Symptoms
Hydrocephalus is a condition which involves a buildup of fluids on the brain, resulting from an obstruction to its drainage system. This excessive buildup eventually pushes up the delicate brain tissues towards the skull, leading to brain damage, and in many cases, to death. In infants, the condition is usually indicated by a very large head, or a progressive increase in its size; a soft bulge may also appear on top of the infant’s head. Functional symptoms include drowsiness, convulsions, vomiting, and agitation. In children and adults, the indications of hydrocephalus include problems with body coordination, vertigo, and a blurry or doubled vision; queasiness, headaches which are succeeded by vomiting, sluggishness, memory lapses, and incontinence. Sometimes the patient shows signs of schizophrenia.
Causes
The brain is made up of gelatin-like tissue; these rely in ample amounts of fluid to stay cushioned and positioned within the skull. The cerebrospinal fluid flows through the pathways which weave deep inside the brain, and inevitably ends up in a closed section which lies between the brain and the skull, wherein it is reabsorbed into the bloodstream. The secretion, flow, and reabsorption process is crucial to keeping the pressure within the skull at normal levels, and a disruption in any part of the cycle leads to hydrocephalus; the channels in-between pathways may become constricted, or the body suffers an inability to efficiently absorb the cerebrospinal fluid. Poor fluid absorption causes normal pressure hydrocephalus, and is most prevalent in adults.
Diagnosis
A diagnosis for an unborn child (congenital hydrocephalus) may be obtained while the conceiving parent undergoes a prenatal ultrasound; otherwise, the condition is usually detected while the child’s head is measured as a component to well-baby growth monitoring. If the child’s head is noticeably large, or if its expansion is faster than the regular growth for an infant, the doctor may advise an ultrasound test to be conducted on the head. Abnormal results will require additional evaluative tests, those which consider the child’s medical history in accordance with a physical and neurological exam. Imaging techniques such as CT scans or MRIs can show the brain structure in detail, and if these show the presence of hydrocephalus or other aberrations, the doctor may refer the patient to a brain surgeon for treatment evaluation.
Treatment Info
The condition may be treated by surgically inserting an assistive drainage system, referred to as a shunt; it’s a long bendable tube, connected to a valve which regulates the flow rate of the fluids at the same time ensuring that these follow the right direction. One end of the shunt is connected to any ventricle of the brain, and the other end is introduced through another area where the fluid can be absorbed more efficiently, such as in the abdominal area, or a section of the heart. Patients who bear hydrocephalus will normally use a shunt for life, and children will require tubing extensions to keep up with the growth. In addition, the shunt will also have to be repaired if an obstruction forms on the tubing, or if the a section becomes infected.
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