Is hydrocephalus serious?

Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
Updated on September 05, 2024
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Hydrocephalus is relatively serious. When hydrocephalus occurs, it gradually affects the patient's motor functions of the limbs, causing weakness in one or both sides, difficulty in lifting, walking impairments, difficulty performing fine motor actions, and ataxia. It may even lead to frequent falls. Additionally, there are significant cognitive impairments, characterized by reduced intelligence levels, decreased computational abilities, and even certain degrees of language dysfunctions. Patients may also exhibit significant personality changes, such as feelings of anxiety, depression, apathetic expressions, and a dislike for communication and interaction with others.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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How to prevent hydrocephalus?

To prevent hydrocephalus, it is first recommended to cultivate good living habits, such as a diet low in salt and fat, and light in nature. Avoid eating overly greasy, spicy, and irritating foods. Additionally, engage in aerobic exercise daily, keeping it under 30 minutes, which can effectively prevent the occurrence of hydrocephalus. For patients with severe cranial trauma or serious central nervous system infections, toxic encephalopathy, etc., if the patient's condition is stable, a timely follow-up head CT scan should be conducted to dynamically observe changes in the patient’s condition. Furthermore, if some patients do not have clear contraindications for surgery, considering a lumbar puncture might be an option to maintain the fluid flow in the brain and prevent hydrocephalus.

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Written by Tang Li Li
Neurology
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How to relieve headache caused by hydrocephalus?

Hydrocephalus causing headaches is generally related to high pressure in the brain. Hydrocephalus leads to an enlargement of the ventricular system, compressing the surrounding brain tissue. Since the volume of the skull is fixed, increased accumulation of fluid can cause a rapid rise in internal pressure, leading to headaches. In severe cases, it may cause nausea, vomiting, and disturbances in consciousness, making the patient drowsy, stuporous, or even comatose. In such cases, the main treatment is to reduce the pressure inside the brain. Dehydrating agents, such as mannitol, can be used; however, mannitol mainly removes water from inside the cells and is more effective for cerebral edema than for hydrocephalus. Furosemide can be used to reduce the secretion of cerebrospinal fluid and may have some effect on hydrocephalus. However, the key treatment is likely to be surgical, such as lateral ventricular drainage, which can fundamentally resolve the problem of fluid accumulation but can also lead to complications like infections.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
Neurosurgery
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Can hydrocephalus be effectively treated?

For patients with hydrocephalus, if timely and effective treatment can be obtained, most patients can achieve very good treatment results. For patients with progressive obstructive hydrocephalus, it is especially important to seize the time to perform surgical treatment in the early stages. Clinically, it is generally recommended to choose ventriculoperitoneal shunt surgery, placing a drainage tube in the patient's lateral ventricle, entering the peritoneal cavity through a subcutaneous tunnel, and draining the cerebrospinal fluid from the ventricle to the peritoneal cavity, thereby achieving the purpose of relieving the excessive cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricular system. After undergoing surgery, the patient's dilated bilateral lateral ventricles can effectively shrink, and conditions such as pre-existing cognitive dysfunction, limb motor dysfunction, and incontinence will improve.

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Written by Shu Zhi Qiang
Neurosurgery
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What is hydrocephalus shunt?

Patients with hydrocephalus usually require shunt surgery, among which the most common is the ventriculoperitoneal shunt. The shunt tube used in this surgery typically features a reservoir, often referred to by patients as a "water basket". Patients are frequently required to press this reservoir to promote the excess cerebral spinal fluid to flow through the shunt tube into the abdominal cavity, where it is absorbed by the omentum. If the reservoir is not pressed, the shunt tube may become blocked, potentially requiring the surgery to be performed again.

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Written by Chen Yu Fei
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Symptoms of hydrocephalus

For patients with hydrocephalus, it often leads to a series of symptoms and signs. For example, patients may experience mild cognitive impairments, manifesting as obvious memory loss, reduced intelligence, and weakened orientation ability in terms of time, space, and person recognition. In addition, most patients also suffer from motor dysfunction, showing symptoms like weakness in one or both legs, difficulty walking, unstable gait, and a tendency to fall. Some patients might even experience changes in emotion and personality. As the condition of cerebral hemorrhage gradually progresses, patients may exhibit symptoms of increased intracranial pressure.