Treatment of Posthemorrhagic Hydrocephalus

The incidence of intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH) has overall declined to 15% to 20% of preterm infants with birth weight less than 1500 g. One of the major complications of severe IVH is posthemorrhagic ventricular dilation (PHVD). Nearly 10% of all infants with IVH and 20% of infants with severe IVH will develop progressive PHVD requiring surgical intervention to prevent parenchymal damage in the developing brain. This review focuses on the controversies regarding posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus interventions with a focus on how to interpret recent data from trials that some have seen as heralding a call toward more aggressive intervention.