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Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: hydrocephalus + hydrocephalus:  Related to the article below (Last Update: 7/1/2008)

Characterization Of Urinary Incontinence In Patients With Normal ... Medical News Today (press release), UK - Jun 26, 2008 ORLANDO, FL (UroToday.com) - An interesting overview of urinary incontinence associated with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), a chronic condition that ... Hydrocephalus: the lethal brain condition Independent, UK - Jun 9, 2008 "I have OK days, medium days, and bad days," explains Lannon, who suffers from a brain condition called hydrocephalus, where spinal fluid accumulates on the ... Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center - Britt Henry KBTX, TX - Jun 26, 2008 Britt Developed Hydrocephalus soon after birth, and external drains had to be put in place. He then contracted an infection which resulted in many surgeries ... Brazos Valley Rehabilitation Center - Tanner Bergeron KBTX all 2 news articles » Walk for Wards success Salisbury Journal, UK - Jun 26, 2008 The eight-year-old, who has cerebral palsy and hydrocephalus, also known as water on the brain, was asked to cut the ribbon and start the event which is ... Birth defect claim dismissed Independent Online, South Africa - Jun 3, 2008 The boy was eventually born with severe defects including spina bifida and hydrocephalus. The unanimous judgment by five appeal judges recognised the ... Recognition for life-changing initiative The Northern Scot, UK - Jun 20, 2008 Rachel suffered from hydrocephalus when she was born, which damaged the area of her brain controlling her movement. Until she began the MOVE programme the ... Programme for disabled youngsters wins award Aberdeen Press and Journal all 2 news articles » Support floods in for transport truck driver Waterloo Record, Canada - Jun 7, 2008 Goncalves' son, Pauly, needs constant medical attention for a condition called hydrocephalus. The toddler has excess spinal fluid in his brain and needs two ... When trucker hits the highway to support family, two-year-old ... St. Catharines Standard all 2 news articles » Pregnancy problems and cats: Few facts, mainly fiction Yemen Times, Yemen - Jun 9, 2008 Toxoplasmosis can cause fetal hydrocephalus, a disease believed to occur in approximately one in every 1000 live births. There are no known incidences of ... Bodog Beat Make-A-Wish To Meet Smarty Jones Bodog Beat, Antigua and Barbuda - Jun 29, 2008 ... Patrick Munro of Greenlawn, New York who suffers from hydrocephalus and, as a result, is blind and hearing impaired, his wish of meeting Smarty Jones. ... Rexburg Standard Journal One Heart Reaches Out to Many Orphans Rexburg Standard Journal, ID - Jun 14, 2008 It has since grown, forming many programs including one for hydrocephalus, a condition of having too much fluid in the cranium, which can enlarge the head ...

Hydrocephalus

Fluid normally flows around the spinal cord and the brain and is absorbed in the blood stream. This fluid serves as a cushion to protect the spinal cord and brain from injury. It also contains nutrients and proteins to nourish the brain and help it function, and it carries waste products away to be absorbed by the bloodstream. When this fluid is produced faster than it can be absorbed or is blocked and collects inside the brain, the condition is called hydrocephalus. As the fluid builds up, it causes the ventricles to enlarge and the pressure inside the head to increase.

If it is present from birth it causes a newborn to have an unusually large head.

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Hydrocephalus that is present at birth is probably caused by environmental and genetic factors. When the condition develops after birth it is usually the result of a disease (such as meningitis), injury to the head, tumors, cysts or bleeding inside the chambers of the brain.

A doctor may order the following procedures to diagnose the condition accurately:

• Skull X-rays. In addition to the enlargement of the skull caused by hydrocephalus, X-rays can reveal the distinctive appearance of the bones that shows an increase in the pressure inside the skull over a period of time.
• Ultrasound. This is helpful in showing whether or not there is bleeding inside the skull and the chambers of the brain.
  
• Computed tomography (CT) scans. These will show the size of the chambers inside the brain and possibly where a blockage is that prevents the flow of fluid around the brain and spinal cord. A CT scan will show cysts, tumors or an enlarged brain, if they are present.
• Magnetic resonance imaging
• Blood tests. These will help identify if there is an infection present, including infections that may be present at birth from viruses such as rubella or herpes.
  
• Electroencephalogram (EEG). This test may be helpful if there are seizures.
  
• Microscopic examination of the spinal fluid

There is no known way to prevent or cure hydrocephalus. Treatment will vary depending on what is causing the fluid to collect. Options include:

• Removing fluid to reduce the pressure inside the brain. This provides only temporary relief.
  
• Surgery to put in a shunt to remove the spinal fluid. This is done when the condition is getting worse and putting growing pressure on the brain and skull. Not all forms of hydrocephalus get worse. Less invasive procedures, such as endoscopic third ventriculostomy (ETV), are growing in popularity as an alternative to traditional surgery.