Hydrocephalus

December 21, 2011

Related Articles:

• Hypertension
• Wikipedia about Diosmin
• Severe nausea and dizziness
• Endotelon

Tweet

Hydrocephalus - A condition that is manifested due cluster too much fluid in the brain. Typically, this is due to obstruction (i.e., clogging), which in turn gives the normal process fluid drainage. Too much liquid is stored in the brain, it can push the tissue fragile to the skull, which is why a person begins brain damage. If there was no time treatment is started, in the end, death can occur. Hydrocephalus, also called " water on the brain ". It is a congenital disease, but in some cases developing later. According to statistics, from dropsy born every 500-th child. Prospects of cure for hydrocephalus brain directly depend on whether the time was diagnosed with the disease and treatment is started. It is also important, whether there is a concomitant disease.

Symptoms of hydrocephalus

Symptoms and signs of the disease are directly dependent on what kind of age group in question. Important degree of progression of the disease. In infants the most common symptoms are a number of features. That, children who subsequently diagnosed hydrocephalus brain, are born with a very large head. Later head circumference increases very quickly and higher than the norm. On the crown of the baby's head is found bulging fontanelle. In children suffering from this disease, often manifests itself vomiting . irritability . bad dream May occur convulsions   and Rolling Eyes . Such children tend to develop with a delay.

When hydrocephalus in adults and older children may show the following symptoms: headache, accompanied by vomiting, seizures, double vision   and the inability to focus the eyes, eyes rolling up, display problems while driving - poor balance, inability to coordinate movements, fatigue. Also, hydrocephalus may occur periodically memory loss, urinary incontinence , Personality changes, severe irritability.

Depending on exactly what the reasons were the basis for developing hydrocephalus, there are certain signs and symptoms of the disease. People in different age hydrocephalus occurs for different reasons. For example, normal pressure hydrocephalus   characteristic mainly for the elderly. In this illness primarily manifest problems walking. Very often a person has urinary incontinence , and Dementia , Which is characterized by slow thinking processes, as well as difficulties in the perception of information.

Causes of Hydrocephalus

Human brain has a consistency resembling a jelly which is in the skull filled with cerebrospinal fluid. This fluid fills the ventricles, and which are deeper in the brain. The liquid first passes through the ventricles, then she turns in confined spaces, which are located between the skull and the brain. From there, the fluid enters the bloodstream. In the normal balance in the process of development, circulation and withdrawal of fluid from a normal person there intracranial pressure . But when for some reason the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid is disrupted, begins the development of hydrocephalus brain. Such pathology occurs when the channel is narrowed between the ventricles, or in case of problems with the absorption of body fluids. In the latter case, a person develops normal pressure hydrocephalus, in which excess fluid expands ventricles, but the pressure which acts on the brain remains normal. This condition is often seen as a result of disease, injury. However, the precise reasons for the manifestation of this type of hydrocephalus not known for certain.

Newborn hydrocephalus manifests itself due to infectious diseases that the woman suffered during pregnancy . The most dangerous is the disease that would later disrupt the functioning of the ventricular system of the brain of the fetus. As a result, the cerebrospinal fluid circulates poorly, or it piled too much. Congenital hydrocephalus in children can manifest itself in the first months of their lives.

Because of a variety of diseases ( meningitis . meningoencephalitis . intoxication . injury ) Acquired hydrocephalus can develop the brain.

Risk factors for hydrocephalus

Children who are born prematurely, have a high risk of severe bleeding   into the ventricles of the brain, which may be a consequence of hydrocephalus. Also, the risk of this disease in a child increases the presence of infection in the uterus. Sometimes the child has a place of birth defects that are not noticed at birth. Subsequently, they can also trigger the manifestation of hydrocephalus in children at the same age in the older. Other risk factors include tumor or other changes of the brain and spinal cord, CNS infections, bleeding in the brain.

Types of hydrocephalus

The common symptoms for all types of hydrocephalus is an accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid. Because of its accumulation increases pressure on the brain, respectively, due to damage to the brain may develop mental and physical defects. However, quality diagnosis and proper treatment can minimize the effects of hydrocephalus.

To distinguish the following types of hydrocephalus:

Congenital Hydrocephalus Which is diagnosed in childhood. It can manifest as a result of physical problems with the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid. The reasons for this state is determined by infection or injury in the process of embryo development, the influence of teratogenic factors. Hydrocephalus in children and manifests itself due to the presence of other defects, such as neural tube defects.

Hydrocephalus acquired   can occur both at birth and later. Its causes are meningitis, wound hemorrhage, malignancy.

Normal pressure hydrocephalus   - Occurs in the elderly. She successfully recovers, however, often causes symptoms of dementia patient. This form of hydrocephalus is often manifested as a result of head injuries, infections, hemorrhages.

Hydrocephalus vacuolar   - A consequence of blows, injuries and other brain injuries. Often this phenomenon is not dangerous to health and, therefore, does not require treatment.

Symptoms of hydrocephalus

If a child has these symptoms, it should immediately alert the parents and become a reason for referral to a specialist. Thus, in children with hydrocephalus can be often observed problems with breastfeeding or bottle feeding. Such a child and piercing cries a lot, does not want to tilt your head or move his neck, it was difficult to breathe, periodically occurring attacks of cramps. The head of the baby is growing very rapidly, fontanelle has a convex shape. Also, the child may appear to change the eyes and face.

In elderly people, who celebrate the appearance of problems with walking, non- arthritis   or other diseases also have a reason to see a specialist.

Diagnosis of hydrocephalus

To diagnose hydrocephalus in children doctor may even during fetal development. It uses ultrasound data of the pregnant woman. Also this disease is detected early in the course of regular measurements of head circumference. If there is doubt about the correctness of the development may further appoint a doctor holding ultrasound baby's head. In the presence of abnormalities that are detected by ultrasound, the child is assigned a set of further research.

When you contact a skilled adults or older children in the first place a thorough examination, medical history, physical examination and neurological. Then, if necessary, the doctor prescribes the patient computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. These research methods provide medical images of the brain of the patient. If you suspect hydrocephalus in adult patients is sent for consultation to a specialist neurosurgeon.

Complications of hydrocephalus

Depending on the age at which the disease begins to develop, it is determined by its heaviness. Thus, the detection of hydrocephalus in the newborn child is likely to take place quite serious damage to the brain and, as a consequence, physical disability . If the severity of the disease is not so high, subject to the timely and proper treatment, a person can live almost a full life.

Treatment of Hydrocephalus

If a patient is diagnosed early stages of the disease, the effectiveness of drug therapy will work. However, at too rapid progress of dropsy of the brain important to make immediate surgery. The most widely used method of surgical treatment of hydrocephalus brain until recently was considered for the operation ventriculo-peritoneal shunt . The patient was administrated special shunts at which liquid was deduced from the brain into the abdominal cavity. However, in this case, because of imperfections in the system shunts needed to be replaced every few years.

It is also used for the treatment of hydrocephalus and the operation is called ETV . In this case, the expert in the ventricle of the brain makes a hole therethrough and drains cerebrospinal fluid. This operation is used in the case of hydrocephalus due to blockage between the ventricles of the brain. In the case of congenital hydrocephalus, this method is used, if the bypass was unsuccessful, or infection occurred. At one time, this method was the only way to treat hydrocephalus surgery. However, he is now considered to be less effective than other methods. Such an operation is assigned only to children who are over six months.

Today the use of new methods of treatment of hydrocephalus surgically. So, it is malotravmaticheskih neuroendoscopic method . The operation is performed using neyroendoskopoma mini-cam. Guided imaging doctors reduced the outflow of fluid.

Prevention hydrocephalus

It is important to carefully and regularly monitored during pregnancy for the purpose of the child's birth on time. During the growing importance of protecting the child from head injuries, providing it with adequate security.

You should also avoid inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system of an infectious nature, which often provoke the development of hydrocephalus.