Identifying common pediatric neurosurgical conditions in the primary care setting

The primary care setting is crucial to the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric neurosurgical conditions. The scope of this article is to present common pediatric neurosurgical diagnoses and their typical presentation to assist the primary care advanced practice nurse in making timely and appropriate referrals. The complications from delayed treatment can be significant for the child's future development. Conditions that are addressed include cutaneous stigmata related to occult spinal cord defects, common birth-related trauma, craniosynostosis, positional molding, torticollis, hydrocephalus, mild head injury, and brain tumors.