Hydrocephalus: water in the head

Hydrocephalus develops when too much fluid accumulates in the brain. The fault, as a rule, is obstruction (blockage), which violates the natural mechanism of fluid drainage. A large volume of fluid exerts tremendous pressure on the soft tissues of the brain, pressing them against the skull, which can cause brain damage. In the absence of treatment, a fatal outcome occurs .

The second name of hydrocephalus is a dropsy of the brain, or simply a dropsy of the brain. According to statistics, this disease affects 1 newborn out of 500. Thus, hydrocephalus is a predominantly congenital disease due to genetic factors. However, it can develop later, in adulthood. The success of treatment is directly dependent on when treatment is started: the earlier a person is taken for a dropsy, the higher his chances of recovery. Concomitant diseases are also an important factor.  

Symptoms of hydrocephalus

Symptomatic of hydrocephalus is determined by the age of the patient, as well as the degree of the disease. The most characteristic sign of a dropsy of the brain is the enlarged head from which the baby is born. And in the future there is a rapid increase in its circumference, as a result of which this indicator is far beyond the norm. Convex fontanel, located on the parietal part of the head, is another typical symptom of the disease. The patient also suffers from vomiting, irritability, sleep disorders, convulsions. The child often rolls his eyes. Such children are usually characterized by a delay in development. The child has difficulty in sucking or breastfeeding. Possible shortness of breath and pathological reluctance to move the neck or tilt the head.

Adolescents and adults may experience the following symptoms of hydrocephalus :

• Headaches accompanied by vomiting;
• Double vision in the eyes ;
• The inability to focus on the subject;
• Rolling of the eyes;
• Motor problems: with balance and coordination of movements;
• General fatigue;
• Periodic amnesia;
• urinary incontinence;
• Irritability and changes in behavior.

In elderly people suffering from so-called normotensive hydrocephalus, first of all, problems with walking, urinary incontinence and dementia (problems with thinking and perception of information) are manifested.

Treatment of hydrocephalus

At an early stage, an effective method of treating hydrocephalus is drug therapy. But if the disease is rapidly progressing, then there is no way to do without surgical intervention.

One of the methods of treating a dropsy of the brain is ventriculo-peritoneal bypass , consisting in insertion into the patient's body of special shunts, through which fluid is withdrawn from the brain into the abdominal cavity. Shunts must be replaced every few years.

In the treatment of hydrocephalus, a surgical operation is also performed - ETV . The meaning of it is that the cerebrospinal fluid flows through the opening in the ventricle of the brain, which the doctor makes during surgery. The operation is indicated when there is a blockage between the ventricles of the brain, as well as with congenital hydrocephalus (if shunting did not work) or infection only for children older than 6 months.

The modern method of hydrocephalus treatment - neuroendoscopic - is based on the use of a neuroendoscope, at the end of which a miniature video camera is installed. Looking at the monitor and thus controlling the situation, the surgeon restores the outflow of fluid.

In case of complications, the child should be observed at the following doctors and specialists: a pediatrician or a therapist, a children's neurologist, a specialist in mental development, a social worker , etc.