Etiology

Congenital

• Central Nervous System Malformations
  • Chiari Malformation
  • Dandy-Walker Malformation
  • Vein of Galen Malformation
• Choroid Plexus Papilloma/Carcinoma
• Intrauterine Infection
  • Cytomegalovirus (CMV) (see Cytomegalovirus, [[Cytomegalovirus]])
  • Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis (LCM)
  • Rubella (see Rubella Virus, [[Rubella Virus]])
  • Syphilis (see Syphilis, [[Syphilis]])
  • Toxoplasmosis (see Toxoplasmosis, [[Toxoplasmosis]])
• Isolated Congenital Hydrocephalus: due to congenital aqueductal stenosis or from inflammation associated with intrauterine infection
• Neural Tube Defect
  • Encephalocele
  • Myelomeningocele
• Syndromic Hydrocephalus
  • Hydrolethalus Syndrome
  • Triploidy
  • Trisomy 13/18/9/9p
  • Walker-Warburg Syndrome
• X-Linked Hydrocephalus

Acquired

Post-Hemorrhagic Hydrocephalus

• General Comments
  • Hemorrhage in the Subarachnoid Space (or Ventricles) -> Inflammatory Response and Fibrosis -> Predominantly Impaired CSF Absorption (Communicating Hydrocephalus) and Some Degree of Obstruction
• Intraventricular Hemorrhage
• Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (SAH) (see Subarachnoid Hemorrhage, [[Subarachnoid Hemorrhage]])

Posterior Fossa Tumors

• Astrocytoma
• Medulloblastoma
• Ependymoma

Other

• Bacterial Meningitis (see Meningitis, [[Meningitis]])
• Mumps (see Mumps Virus, [[Mumps Virus]])

Low Pressure Hydrocephalus

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Physiology

Mechanisms of Hydrocephalus

• Communicating Hydrocephalus: impaired CSF absorption
• Obstructive Hydrocephalus: obstructed flow of CSF

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Diagnosis

Head CT (see Head Computed Tomography, [[Head Computed Tomography]])

• Features Which Suggest Hydrocephalus Rather Than Ventriculomegaly Due to Atrophy
  • Dilation of Temporal Horns of Lateral Ventricle
  • Effacement of the Cortical Sulci
  • Enlargement of the Recesses of 3rd Ventricle
  • Interstitial Edema of Periventricular Tissues: seen on T2-weighted or FLAIR brain MRI

Brain MRI (see Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging, [[Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging]])

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Lumbar Puncture (LP) (see Lumbar Puncture, [[Lumbar Puncture]])

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Clinical Manifestations

Neurologic Manifestations

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Treatment

• Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt (VP Shunt) (see Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt, [[Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt]])

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References

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