Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2025
Modeling Neonatal Intraventricular Hemorrhage Through Intraventricular Injection of Hemoglobin
Published on: August 25, 2022
Infant Hydrocephalus
Victor M Lu1,2, Nir Shimony3, George I Jallo4
1Department of Neurological Surgery, University of Miami, Jackson Memorial Hospital, Miami, FL.
Insights
Pediatric hydrocephalus, a common infant condition, requires primary care physician awareness. Understanding infant hydrocephalus symptoms and management is crucial for early diagnosis and treatment.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Pediatric Medicine
Background:
- Hydrocephalus is a prevalent neurosurgical condition in infants.
- Key features include prenatal imaging findings, postnatal head enlargement, and increased intracranial pressure.
- Understanding infant hydrocephalus is vital for primary care physicians.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the distinct features of infant hydrocephalus.
- To equip primary pediatricians for diagnosing and managing infant hydrocephalus.
- To elaborate on pathophysiology, common forms, and treatment options.
Main Methods:
- Literature review focusing on infant hydrocephalus.
- Analysis of diagnostic features and presenting symptoms.
- Overview of pathophysiological models and treatment modalities.
Main Results:
- Infant hydrocephalus presents with specific prenatal and postnatal signs.
- Common causes include myelomeningocele, aqueductal stenosis, and posterior fossa malformations.
- Acquired forms include posthemorrhagic, postinfectious, and tumor-related hydrocephalus.
Conclusions:
- Primary pediatricians play a key role in early hydrocephalus diagnosis.
- Knowledge of pathophysiology and common forms aids management.
- Treatment options like cerebrospinal fluid shunting and endoscopic third ventriculostomy are discussed.
Abstract:
Hydrocephalus is a neurosurgical condition that is highly prevalent in pediatric medicine. In the infant population, there is a distinct set of features that all primary pediatricians would benefit from understanding. Infant hydrocephalus can present prenatally on imaging and postnatally with symptomatic enlargement of the head and associated skull features and raised intracranial pressures. The 2 major pathophysiology models of infant hydrocephalus are the bulk flow and the intracranial pulsatility models. The most common acquired forms of hydrocephalus include posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus, postinfectious hydrocephalus, and brain tumor. The most common congenital forms of hydrocephalus include those due to myelomeningocele, aqueductal stenosis, and posterior fossa malformations. There are various evaluation and treatment algorithms for these different types of hydrocephalus, including cerebrospinal fluid shunting and endoscopic third ventriculostomy. The aim of this review was to elaborate on those features of hydrocephalus to best equip primary pediatricians to diagnose and manage hydrocephalus in infants.
Related Concept Videos
01:21Cerebrospinal Fluid
CSF Production
CSF is produced mainly in the choroid plexus, a network of capillaries and ependymal cells located within the ventricular system of the brain....
01:30Neurulation