Hydrocephalus & CSF

Hydrocephalus is the excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) within the cavities of the brain (ventricles). This buildup can raise intracranial pressure and compress brain tissue, producing a range of neurological symptoms.

Pseudotumor cerebri (idiopathic intracranial hypertension, IIH) is a disorder of raised intracranial pressure occurring without a mass lesion or hydrocephalus. It is characterized by headache, visual disturbance and papilledema, and is most common in young women with obesity.

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a cerebrospinal fluid circulation disorder, usually seen after age 60, presenting with a triad of gait disturbance, cognitive decline, and urinary incontinence. It is one of the treatable causes of dementia, and selected patients may benefit from shunt surgery.

Obstructive hydrocephalus is the accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and raised intracranial pressure caused by a blockage along the CSF flow pathway within the ventricular system. The obstruction (such as aqueductal stenosis, a tumor or a cyst) enlarges the ventricles upstream of the block.

Communicating hydrocephalus is the accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) caused by impaired absorption even though the flow pathway through the ventricular system remains open. It commonly follows damage to the absorptive surfaces after subarachnoid hemorrhage or meningitis.

A CSF fistula is the leakage of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) into the nose, ear or a wound through a defect in the skull base bone and dura. It is a serious condition that carries a risk of meningitis, so diagnosis and treatment are important.