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Updated: Aug 30, 2026
Modeling Posthemorrhagic Hydrocephalus of Prematurity in Rats
Published on: March 28, 2025
Posttraumatic hydrocephalus: a clinical, neuroradiologic, and neuropsychologic assessment of long-term outcome
Letizia Mazzini1, Riccardo Campini, Elisabetta Angelino
1Department of Neurology, San Giovanni Bosco Hospital, Turin, Italy. mazzini.l@libero.it
Objectives:
To detect the clinical and radiologic characteristics of posttraumatic hydrocephalus (PTH), to define its prognostic value, and to assess the effects of shunt surgery.
Design:
Correlational study on a prospective cohort.
Setting:
Brain injury rehabilitation center.
Participants:
One hundred forty patients with severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) referred to an inpatient intensive rehabilitation unit of primary care in a university-based system.
Interventions:
Not applicable.
Main Outcome Measures:
The Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS), Disability Rating Scale (DRS), FIM instrument, and Neurobehavioural Rating Scale (NRS), as well as single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and magnetic resonance imaging.
Results:
PTH was found in 45% of patients. Risk factors for PTH were as follows: age (P<.04), duration of coma (P<.0001), and decompressive craniectomy (P<.0001). PTH correlated with the degree of hypoperfusion in the temporal lobes (P<.001). Patients who showed clinical deterioration improved after surgery. PTH correlated significantly with GOS, DRS, FIM, and NRS (P<.0001) 1 year after the trauma, and it influenced the appearance of posttraumatic epilepsy (P<.02).
Conclusions:
PTH concerns about 50% of patients with severe TBI. It influences functional and behavioral outcome and the appearance of posttraumatic epilepsy. The selection of patients for surgery can be defined principally on a clinical basis. SPECT may be helpful for differentiating ventricular enlargement due to cortical atrophy and hydrocephalus.
