Follow-up diagnostic tests, including CT scans, MRIs and x-rays, are help determine if the shunt is working properly. A physician should be contacted if any of the following postoperative symptoms are experienced:. The prognosis for hydrocephalus depends on the cause, the extent of symptoms and the timeliness of diagnosis and treatment.
Some patients show a dramatic improvement with treatment, while others do not. In some instances of normal pressure hydrocephalus, dementia can be reversed by shunt placement. Other symptoms, such as headaches, may disappear almost immediately if the symptoms are related to elevated pressure.
In general, the earlier hydrocephalus is diagnosed, the better the chance for successful treatment. The longer the symptoms have been present, the less likely it is that treatment will be successful. Unfortunately, there is no way to accurately predict how successful surgery will be for each individual. Some patients will improve dramatically, while others will reach a plateau or decline after a few months. Shunt malfunction or failure may occur. The valve can become clogged or the pressure in the shunt may not match the needs of the patient, requiring additional surgery.
In the event of an infection, antibiotic therapy may be needed and likely temporary removal of the shunt and replacement by a drain until the infection clears. The shunt can then be re-implanted. A shunt malfunction may be indicated by headaches, vision problems, irritability, fatigue, personality change, loss of coordination, difficulty in waking up or staying awake, a return of walking difficulties, mild dementia or incontinence.
When a shunt malfunctions, surgery is often needed to replace the blocked or malfunctioning portion of the shunt system. Fortunately, most complications can be dealt with successfully. Patient Pages are authored by neurosurgical professionals, with the goal of providing useful information to the public. Lawrence M. The AANS does not endorse any treatments, procedures, products or physicians referenced in these patient fact sheets.
This information is provided as an educational service and is not intended to serve as medical advice. Register with iGive. Joint Providership.
But if this is the case, this would only give more support to the conclusion that almost all children with hydrocephalus are detected in the first year of life. Another possible reason for bias might be that some children with hydrocephalus may be missed because of another code or diagnosis used in the hospital information system.
However, we assume that this will not be related to the age of detection of the patients. Therefore, this is unlikely to have influenced our findings and conclusion.
With the increasing use of ultrasound during pregnancy, it is expected that children with a congenital cause for hydrocephalus will be detected prenatally more often. It might be that the children referred by the GP or the paediatrician and part of the children in which the referrer was not known, were also referred by the YHC physician.
YHC physicians are aware of the importance of detection and referral of children with an abnormal head circumference. More information is needed about the test characteristics of head circumference measurements and the most optimal referral criteria for detecting pathology. In conclusion, we found that the majority of patients with hydrocephalus are detected before the first year of life. Further studies are necessary to investigate whether routine measurements lead to early detection of hydrocephalus and improvement of prognosis.
The majority of patients with hydrocephalus is detected before the first year of life. Head circumference measurements seem to have little value for detecting hydrocephalus after the first year of life. Routine measurements of head circumference in YHC can be limited to the first year of life. Google Scholar.
Google Preview. Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Sign In or Create an Account. Sign In. Advanced Search. Search Menu. Article Navigation. Close mobile search navigation Article Navigation. Volume Article Contents Abstract. At what age is hydrocephalus detected, and what is the role of head circumference measurements?
Breuning-Broers , Jacqueline M. Oxford Academic. Jacqueline A. Rob H. Paul H. Cite Cite Jacqueline M. Select Format Select format. Permissions Icon Permissions. Abstract To investigate at what age hydrocephalus is detected and to assess the role of head circumference measurements in detecting hydrocephalus, we performed a retrospective chart review in children with hydrocephalus treated in a tertiary paediatric hospital in the Netherlands. NPH may be diagnosed if you have difficulty walking, mental and bladder problems, and cerebrospinal fluid CSF levels that are higher than usual.
However, you may not have all these symptoms. Further tests may also be done to decide whether you would benefit from having surgery, such as a:. A lumbar puncture is a procedure where a sample of CSF is taken from your lower spine.
The pressure of the CSF sample is then checked. Removing some CSF during a lumbar puncture may help improve your symptoms. If it does, you may benefit from having surgery see treating hydrocephalus to find out more. Under local anaesthetic , a tube is inserted between the bones in your spine vertebra to drain a large amount of CSF.
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