In hydrocephalus, excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) accumulates in the ventricles due to imbalanced CSF production and absorption. Worldwide, there are about 4 lakh cases of infantile and pediatric hydrocephalus per year, with a prevalence of 88 per 100,000 pediatric populations. Early-life hydrocephalus affects neurodevelopment negatively and, if untreated, can be fatal. The current understanding and treatment of this debilitating illness are outlined in this article. 1,2 Etiology Congenital or acquired conditions can lead to hydrocephalus (Figure 1).
1 Figure 1. Etiology of Hydrocephalus 1 (adapted from Whitehead WE et al. 2022) Diagnosis Fetal ventriculomegaly might be the outcome of hydrocephaly or aberrant brain growth, as seen in sonography during pregnancy. Therefore, it is difficult to effectively diagnose fetal hydrocephaly based on imaging for its early treatment. 1 Diagnosing…
