Hydrocephalus
Definition of hydrocephalus:
Hydrocephalus is an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles of the brain, leading to their enlargement and swelling.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors of hydrocephalus:
Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is formed in a region of the brain known as the choroid plexus. CSF usually circulates through channels of the brain known as ventricles, as well as flowing around the outside of the brain and through the spinal canal.
Symptoms of hydrocephalus vary depending on the cause of the obstruction to CSF circulation, the age at which the problem develops, and the extent of damage to brain tissue caused by the swelling.
In small children, risks for developing hydrocephalus include congenital defects, tumors of the central nervous system, intrauterine infection, infections that affect the central nervous system (such as meningitis or encephalitis), injury occurring during the birth process, and trauma before or after birth (including subarachnoid hemorrhage). Myelomeningocele, a disorder involving incomplete closure of the spinal column, is strongly associated with hydrocephalus.
In older children, hydrocephalus risks include history of congenital or developmental defects, space-occupying lesions or tumors of the brain or spinal cord, central nervous system infections, bleeding anywhere in the brain, and trauma.
The incidence is approximately 1 out of 1,000 people. Hydrocephalus most often occurs in children, but may also occur in adults and the elderly.
Hydrocephalus
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