Endoscope operations (Ventriculostomy)
The general causes of this condition are disorders of the creation, flow or absorption of spinal fluid. The causes may be congenital or developmental defects, bleeding or intracranial infections, post-operational conditions or brain traumas, or brain or spinal tumours. The cause is not known for some forms of hydrocephalus.
The most common symptoms among children are a tense, bulging fontanelle, swollen head, tunnel vision, increased excitability or, conversely, apathy, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and abnormal gait. For adults and older people they are headaches, sleepiness, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, abnormal gait, impaired mental function, visual disorders and problems with bowel movement, especially in the form of incontinence.
Diagnosis is suggested by clinical manifestations and confirmed by imaging methods (ultrasound scans of the head in young children through the fontanelle, CT or magnetic resonance imaging of the brain in adults).