According to statistics, every 500th baby appears with hydrocephalus. Sometimes the disease is detected in adults. If you do not start the treatment in time, the outcome is one - death. Today, our site covers the main points associated with the cerebral hydrocephalus in children and adults.
Causes of the disease
How the hydrocephalus occurs? In appearance and consistency, the human brain resembles jelly, which is in the skull box filled with a spinal fluid. This liquid is filled and ventricles of the brain. First, the liquid falls directly in them, where it turns out in the closed space between the skull and the brain. After that, it flows into the bloodstream. Normal intracranial pressure is due to stable balance, production, circulation, and reinforcement fluid output. If at least one of the parameters for certain reasons is disturbed, the development of brain hydrocephalus begins.
The main reason for the occurrence of water is considered the formation of adhesions (reaction to transferred neuroinfection), head injuries, as well as the presence of a tumor in the brain, congenital brain pathology and its shells.
The prerequisite for the occurrence of hydrocephalus in newborns are infectious diseases that have suffered a woman during pregnancy. An innate disease can not immediately show itself, but only a few months after the birth of a child. Acquired hydrocephalus is a consequence Meningitis, Meningoencephalites, various intoxication and injuries.
What is dangerous hydrocephalia? The excess amount of cerebrospinal fluid of the brain presses its tender tissues to the bones of the skull, as a result of which the irreversible brain damage process begins.
Clinical picture of the disease
For the diagnosis of water, computer and magnetic resonance tomography are used, research of the eye dna, the lumbar puncture (introduces the needle to the area of the subarachnoid spinal cord space through the lower back). Diagnosis of hydrocephalus in children who have not yet turned three years old, use common anesthesia. For kids up to one and a half years alternative to computer and magnetic resonance tomography is neurosonography.
The character of radiographs is determined depending on the age in which the hydrocephalus appeared: an adult has the destruction of the Turkish saddle, the strengthening of the finger glances along the tight. Computed tomography and ventriculography indicate a sharp increase in brain ventricles, about cerebral atrophy.
In the case of hydrocephalus in an adult patient, the first thing figurizes the cause of the violation of the circulation of the spinal fluid to recognize or eliminate the brain tumor in a timely manner. In newborns, it is very important to distinguish the water from increasing the head of richitic origin, which is characterized by the growth of bone tight fabric and typical for Rachita Changes in skeleton.
Treatment of the disease
To reduce intracranial pressure, Used diuretics, glucocorticoid hormones, glycerin. However, the treatment of brain hydrocephalus is mainly surgical, since in the forces of medicines only slow down the development of the disease. Surgical treatment of watering of newborns of babies is to ensure a sufficient number of ways to outflow of the spinal fluid from the skull cavity (the shunt procedure). In the case of an adult disease, they are trying to eliminate the reasons for the obstruction of the tract of cerebrospinal fluid (for example, the removal of the tumor, the dissection of adhesions).
Forecast for watering newborns adversely; Exodus of hydrocephalus in adults depends on the possibility of surgical intervention to correct the reasons that caused disease.
Surgical interference with brain water in 86% of cases has positive implications for the patient. The result of the operation of the shunting becomes the complete removal of excessive spinal fluid in adults. The operated person has every chance to return to normal life. But after a certain time it will still need a complete either partial replacement of Shunts. With the disease of the water of children due to increasing head volumes, the shunt check is carried out several times.
The leading direction in the development of advanced methods of treating the disease is the so-called minimally invasive endoscopic operation. With it, you can install a shunting system, as well as remove the binding fluid that prevents the outflow of the spinal fluid or tumor.
Prevention of the disease
Pregnant women need to be very responsible to relate to their position: to regularly observe the doctor, do everything possible so that the child is born on time. After birth, control and responsibility should double - the baby should be protected from any, even minor, at first glance, head injuries.
The following rule concerns both children and adults. If possible, it is necessary to protect yourself and your child from inflammatory diseases of the CNS infectious nature. Unfortunately, they primarily increase the risk of hydrocephalus.
