Hydrocephaly

Description:

Hydrocephaly (from other - Greek ὕδωρ  — water and  — the head), a brain edema — the disease which is characterized by excess accumulation of cerebrospinal liquid in ventricular system of a brain  as a result of difficulty of its movement from the place of secretion (brain ventricles) to the place of absorption in circulatory system (subarachnoid space) — occlusal hydrocephaly, or as a result of absorption disturbance — arezorbtivny hydrocephaly. Also the hyper secretory hydrocephaly caused by excess products of liquor meets.

Hydrocephaly symptoms:

The most characteristic symptom of hydrocephaly — the advancing growth of a circle of the head leading to visually well defined gidrotsefalny shape of the skull which is strongly increased in volume. Besides, the eminating intense fontanel, a frequent zaprokidyvaniye of the head, shift of eyeglobes to a bottom can be a hydrocephaly sign at newborns. In places where there was no normal accretion of bones of a skull, the roundish pulsing protrusions can be formed. Quite often there are squint and a nystagmus. Decrease in sight and hearing, headaches, nausea are sometimes noted.

Hydrocephaly reasons:

In most cases, developing of hydrocephaly at the newborn is caused by the infectious diseases (a Cytomegaloviral infection) transferred mother during pregnancy leading to disturbance of work of ventricular system of a brain of a fruit. It leads to difficulty of circulation of liquor and/or its excess products. In addition to inborn hydrocephaly, also the acquired hydrocephaly after the postponed meningitis, meningoentsefalit, injuries of the head, intoxications etc. can develop (most often in the first months of life of the newborn). Disturbance of circulation of cerebrospinal liquid leads to increase in intracranial pressure and a so-called gipertenzionno-gidrotsefalny syndrome. As a result of the put pressure upon sites of a brain sight begins to decrease, there are spasms, the prelum of a trunk of a brain is shown by oculomotor frustration (squint, look paresis up (a symptom "setting the sun")), weakness in upper and lower extremities. It can lead to death, rough neurologic disorders, decrease in mental abilities.

Treatment of Hydrocephaly:

Shunting, endoscopic methods of treatment among which the important place is taken by an endoscopic ventrikulotsisternostomiya of a bottom of the III ventricle are applied to treatment.

Complications of the shunting operations:

    * Occlusion (obstruction) both in brain ventricles, and in an abdominal cavity.
    * Infection of the shunt, ventricles of a brain, meninx.
    * Mechanical damages of the shunt.
    * Hyper drainage (bystry dumping of liquor from ventricles) often is followed by break of konveksitalny veins and formation of hematomas.
    * Hypodrainage (slow outflow from ventricles) — operation is in that case inefficient.
    * Development of an epileptic syndrome, decubituses of abdominal organs, etc.