Hydracephalus of the brain in adults and children, newborns, in a year - moderate, internal, external, replacement, mixed, pronounced: what kind of illness is this? Causes, signs, symptoms, classification, diagnosis of hydrocephalus: how and what to treat, shunting

From this article you will learn what hydrocephalus is, and how this disease manifests itself in people of different ages.

Content

Hydrocephaly is literally translated as “dropsy of the head”. Such a clinical syndrome in the field of neurology is quite common. This diagnosis can be made after many ailments or traumatic brain injuries. Hydrocephaly appears in case of violations in the cerebrospinal fluid system. Both children, adults, and elderly people can hurt such an ailment. But basically, the diagnosis has become widespread in pediatrics.

Hydrocephaly of the brain in adults and children: what are these diseases, causes

Anatomy and the movement of cerebrospinal fluid secretion:

The cerebrospinal fluid system consists of a cerebrospinal fluid - this is a spinal secretion produced by a vascular mesh in which small veins are communicated to each other with ventricles of the brain (GM).
Most of this fluid is found in lateral ventricles.
Then secretion moves into 3 and 4 ventricles, and enters the subarachnoid space extending above the GM.
From this area, secretion is absorbed by the shells of the brain of the head and back and enters the hematopoiesis system.

Hydrocephaly begins to develop if the cerebrospinal fluid secret is collected in excessive quantities, the process of its distribution is disturbed and the circulation is not performed according to the hematopoiesis system. This indicates the acquired hydrocephalus. Doctors can make such a diagnosis both adults and children. The causes of the acquired disease:

Often this disease is observed in newborn children, that is, the diagnosis of “congenital hydrocephalus” is made. To her reasonssuch defects in the development of the cerebrospinal fluid system should be attributed:

Any violations in the cerebrospinal fluid lead to the appearance of secretion in excessively in the brain, which can lead to a manifestation of hydrocephalus. Below you will find information about how many forms of this disease exists.

Classification of hydrocephalus of the brain in adults and children, newborns, a moderate, internal, external, replacement, mixed, pronounced one year

By etiological signs are distinguished congenital and acquired hydrocephalus. The reasons for the appearance and description of these types of this disease will be found above.

By the mechanism of appearance in the human body in medicine, it varies open and closed form.

Open form It accompanies the patient if a hyperproduction of secretion-circuit with impaired absorption occurs.
Closed form It may appear against the background of squeezing the components of the system in GM. As a result, secretion does not circulate normally, which is why the disease inevitably develops.

External and internal hydrocephalus differ from the place where the accumulation of secretion occurred:

External form - An excessive amount of secretion in the sub -file space appears.
Internal - The secret accumulates in the ventricles of GM.

By the features of the current The disease can be divided into such forms:

Acute hydrocephalus - Quickly appears and after a couple of days a decompensation occurs.
Subacute - It develops within 30 days.
Chronic - Symptoms appear for six months and even more time, that is, the development of the disease occurs slowly, but confidently. It is difficult to treat.

In medicine, the separation of this disease is of great importance on a stabilized (compensated) and progressive (growing) form.

The clinical picture of the first form - compensated - The normal pressure of the secret. In this case, the symptoms do not increase.
Progressive form Diseases proceeds with the deepening of symptoms, secretory pressure is constantly increasing, and almost does not lend itself to drug cure. As a result, atrophy of the vascular mesh and other GM tissues inevitably occurs.

Also exists mixed form of the disease, When there are symptoms of both compensated and increasing stages. To establish the correct diagnosis, the doctor in this case may need some time.

Signs of hydrocephalus in adults and children

When secretion is collected in the limited space of the skull, this entails an increase in intracranial pressure. Adults and older children suffer from severe headaches, even analgesics do not help, a sickening state, vomiting and a sense of squeezing in the eye area appear.

Signs of the disease in adults:

Vestibular and eye violations: ataxia with dizziness, unstable gait, creak, whistle in the ears and head, a decrease in the severity of the visual apparatus, the loss of some sections of visual fields, and atrophic states of the optic nerve.
Motor and sensitive violations: paralysis, an increase in muscle tone, tendon reflexes, the formation of spastic leg contractures or hands. Coordination and gait are disturbed, handwriting changes.
Mental disorders: Violation of the emotional and strong -willed sphere, instability of the psyche, euphoria, which arises for no reason and its quick transition to apathy and indifference. If intracranial pressure rises sharply, then aggression may appear.

Signs of the development of the disease in children:

Good suppleness of the bones of the skull does not allow high intracranial pressure to develop. Because of this, the cranial box begins to greatly increase in size.
In newborn children - The large size of the head, the swelling of Venus Scalp, the lack of pulsation of the fontanel, swelling of the optic discs.
For children up to a year and a year - Development lag. Later, compared with their peers, they begin to sit, crawl, walk.
Deeply planted eyes, protruded ears, thin scalp.

Children with hydrocephalia move little and suffer from obesity. In adolescence This disease is characterized by vomiting, severe headaches, bradycardia, loss of consciousness, convulsive attacks.

Symptoms of hydrocephalus

From the above it is worth noting that the main symptoms of hydrocephalus are:

Intensive headaches
Vomit
Violation of coordination of movement
Increase in the size of the skull in children
Deeply planted eyes
Paralysis
Psyche instability and other

The disease differs in its characteristics in adults and children, but has similarity in symptoms.

Diagnosis of hydrocephalus

The hydrocephalus clinic is so pronounced that the neurologist can make a preliminary diagnosis after the patient’s first visit to the reception. But to determine the form and degree of development of the disease, such diagnostic measures must be performed:

Ultrasound
Radiography
CT and MRI

The most informative diagnostics in the detection of hydrocephalus is considered computer and magnetic resonance imaging. On x -ray You can see only the thinning of the bones of the divergence of the seams between them. Ultrasound shows the condition of the vessels of the brain and the degree of increase in intracranial pressure.

Ophthalmology Allows you to see visual disorders. Doctor-ophthalmologist determines the condition of the optic disc.

PCR diagnostics It is performed when it is necessary to identify the type of infection, which caused the development of the disease. Lumbal puncture For the study of cerebrospinal fluid, it is performed only in the absence of contraindications.

How and what to treat hydrocephalus: Shunting

The selection of treatment is based on the origin or etiology of the disease.

If the form of the disease is inflammatory and acquiredAs a result of the CCT with hemorrhage in the ventricles, conservative therapy is prescribed. Diuretics are prescribed to reduce intracranial pressure.
Congenital form of hydrocephalus It requires a surgical operation that will help adjust the development vice. Hematoma, tumors and total excision of the abscess of the brain are removed.

If the cause of the disease cannot be eliminated, noise is prescribed. This procedure helps to make an additional outflow of fluid from the cranial cavity. Shunting is an addition to surgical intervention if it is not possible to restore normal circulation of fluid in the brain.