Getting to Know ... Hyrocephalus (part 2)

What are the symptoms of hydrocephalus?

Symptoms of hydrocephalus depend on age, disease progression, and individual differences in tolerating the condition. In infancy, hydrocephalus presents itself with a rapid increase in head circumference due to buildup of CSF which pushes the unfused skull sections outwards. Other symptoms may include vomiting, sleepiness, irritability, downward deviation of the eyes (also called "sunsetting"), and seizures.

 Older children and adults can experience different symptoms because their skulls cannot expand to accommodate the buildup of CSF. Symptoms of congenital hydrocephalus include headache followed by vomiting, nausea, papilledema (swelling of the optic disk which is part of the optic nerve), blurred or double vision, sunsetting of the eyes, problems with balance, poor coordination, gait disturbance, urinary incontinence, slowing or loss of developmental progress, lethargy, drowsiness, irritability, or other changes in personality or cognition including memory loss.

Symptoms of normal pressure hydrocephalus, which primarily occurs in elderly individuals, include problems walking, impaired bladder control, and progressive mental impairment and dementia. Because some of these symptoms may also be experienced in other disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, normal pressure hydrocephalus is often incorrectly diagnosed and never properly treated. Doctors may use a variety of tests, including brain scans (CT and/or MRI), a spinal tap or lumbar catheter, intracranial pressure monitoring, and neuropsychological tests, to help them accurately diagnose normal pressure hydrocephalus and rule out any other conditions.

What is the current treatment for hydrocephalus?

 

Hydrocephalus is usually treated by surgically inserting a shunt system. This system diverts the flow of CSF from the CNS to another area of the body where it can be absorbed as part of the normal circulatory process.

A shunt is a flexible but sturdy plastic tube. A shunt system consists of the shunt, a catheter, and a valve. One end of the catheter is placed within a ventricle inside the brain or in the CSF outside the spinal cord. The other end of the catheter is commonly placed within the abdominal cavity, but may also be placed at other sites in the body such as a chamber of the heart or areas around the lung where the CSF can drain and be absorbed. A valve located along the catheter maintains one-way flow and regulates the rate of CSF flow.

A limited number of individuals can be treated with an alternative procedure called third ventriculostomy. In this procedure, a neuroendoscope — a small camera that uses fiber optic technology to visualize small and difficult to reach surgical areas — allows a doctor to view the ventricular surface. Once the scope is guided into position, a small tool makes a tiny hole in the floor of the third ventricle, which allows the CSF to bypass the obstruction and flow toward the site of resorption around the surface of the brain.

What research is being done for hydrocephalus?

 

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and other institutes of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) conduct research related to hydrocephalus in laboratories and clinics at the NIH and support additional research through grants to major medical institutions across the country. Much of this research focuses on finding better ways to prevent, treat, and ultimately cure disorders such as hydrocephalus. The NINDS also conducts and supports a wide range of fundamental studies that explore the complex mechanisms of normal and abnormal brain development.

There is still a lot about hydrocephalus that doctors don’t know. While there is no cure, treatments are available to help alleviate hydrocephalus symptoms, prevent future brain complications, and even reverse damage resulting from hydrocephalus. Children and adults with normal pressure hydrocephalus can benefit from various rehabilitation therapies and, with minor treatments, can lead completely normal lives. However, progressive hydrocephalus can be fatal if left untreated.

What can you do? DONATE TO THE HYDROCEPHALUS ASSOCIATION TODAY! CLICK HERE!!! 100% of all donations go towards hydrocephalus research. Help support medical studies and testing to make hydrocephalus a thing of the past! And thank you to all of you who have already donated.