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Diseases » Hydrocephalus » Causes
 

Causes of Hydrocephalus

Contents
  1. Hydrocephalus: Introduction
  2. List of Causes
  3. Hidden causes
  4. Excerpts from book chapters
  5. Complication causes
  6. Causes of symptoms
  7. Related cause information

List of causes of Hydrocephalus

Following is a list of causes or underlying conditions (see also Misdiagnosis of underlying causes of Hydrocephalus) that could possibly cause Hydrocephalus includes:

More causes: see full list of causes for Hydrocephalus

Causes of Hydrocephalus (Diseases Database):

The follow list shows some of the possible medical causes of Hydrocephalus that are listed by the Diseases Database:

Source: Diseases Database

Hydrocephalus Causes: Book Excerpts

Hydrocephalus as a complication of other conditions:

Other conditions that might have Hydrocephalus as a complication may, potentially, be an underlying cause of Hydrocephalus. Our database lists the following as having Hydrocephalus as a complication of that condition:

Hydrocephalus as a symptom:

Conditions listing Hydrocephalus as a symptom may also be potential underlying causes of Hydrocephalus. Our database lists the following as having Hydrocephalus as a symptom of that condition:

Related information on causes of Hydrocephalus:

As with all medical conditions, there may be many causal factors. Further relevant information on causes of Hydrocephalus may be found in:

Causes of Hydrocephalus: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the causes of Hydrocephalus.

Hydrocephalus: Causes and incidence
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Hydrocephalus may result from an obstruction in CSF flow (noncommunicating hydrocephalus) or from faulty absorption of CSF (communicating hydrocephalus). (See Normal circulation of CSF.)

In noncommunicating hydrocephalus, the obstruction occurs most frequently between the third and fourth ventricles, at the aqueduct of Sylvius, but it can also occur at the outlets of the fourth ventricle (foramina of Luschka and Magendie) or, rarely, at the foramen of Monro. This obstruction may result from faulty fetal development, infection (syphilis, granulomatous diseases, meningitis), a tumor, cerebral aneurysm, or a blood clot (after intracranial hemorrhage).

In communicating hydrocephalus, faulty absorption of CSF may result from surgery to repair a myelomeningocele, adhesions between meninges at the base of the brain, or meningeal hemorrhage. Rarely, a tumor in the choroid plexus causes overproduction of CSF, producing hydrocephalus.

Hydrocephalus occurs most commonly in neonates but can also occur in adults as a result of injury or disease. It affects 1 of every 1,000 people.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005

Hydrocephalus: Causes
(Handbook of Diseases)

Hydrocephalus may result from an obstruction in CSF flow (noncommunicating hydrocephalus) or from faulty absorption of CSF (communicating hydrocephalus).

Noncommunicating hydrocephalus

In noncommunicating hydrocephalus, the obstruction occurs most commonly between the third and fourth ventricles, at the aqueduct of Sylvius, but it can also occur at the outlets of the fourth ventricle (foramina of Luschka and Magendie) or, rarely, at the foramen of Monro.

This obstruction may result from faulty fetal development, infection (syphilis, granulomatous diseases, meningitis), a tumor, a cerebral aneurysm, or a blood clot (after intracranial hemorrhage).

Communicating hydrocephalus

In communicating hydrocephalus, faulty absorption of CSF may result from surgery to repair a myelomeningocele, adhesions between meninges at the base of the brain, or meningeal hemorrhage. Rarely, a tumor in the choroid plexus causes overproduction of CSF, producing hydrocephalus.

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003

Verbal Communication Difficulty: Principal Causes of Verbal Communication Difficulty
(The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics)

  1. Receptiveand expressive language disorders
    1. Maturational delay
    2. Hearing loss
    3. Neurologic disorders
    4. Psychologic disorders
  2. Speech disorders
    1. Articulationdisorders
    2. Phonology disorders
    3. Fluency disorders
  3. Voice disorders
    1. Phonationdisorders
    2. Resonance disorders

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: The Diagnostic Approach to Symptoms and Signs in Pediatrics, 2006

Hydrocephalus: Hydrocephalus - pathophysiology
(The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult)

  • Normal pathway of CSF: Choroid plexus and interstitial fluid (sources), lateral ventricles, foramina of Monro, 3rd ventricle, aqueduct of Sylvius, 4th ventricle, foramina of Luschka and Magendie, subarachnoid space, arachnoid villi, and venous circulation
  • Hydrocephalus results from obstruction to CSF flow, impaired reabsorption, or overproduction of CSF.
  • Noncommunicating (obstructive) hydrocephalus results from obstruction within the ventricular system.
  • Communicating hydrocephalus usually results from impaired CSF reabsorption or (rarely) overproduction (e.g., due to a choroid plexus papilloma).
  • The noncommunicating/communicating distinction has no prognostic significance, but has implications for etiology and choice of therapeutic intervention.

Hydrocephalus - etiology

  • Intraventricular hemorrhage is most commonly due to prematurity, but may also occur with trauma. It results in impaired CSF absorption due to meningeal adhesions, granular ependymitis, and clots. Posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH) occurs in 35% of all neonates surviving intraventricular hemorrhage; its incidence increases with increasing severity of hemorrhage.
  • Tumors or cysts near the foramina or the aqueduct, or within the ventricular system
  • Infection (meningitis, intrauterine infection) can lead to leptomeningeal adhesions and granulations which block reabsorption of CSF.
  • Developmental:
    • Chiari malformation, type II (associated with myelomeningocele, brain migrational disorders, small posterior fossa, inferior displacement of medulla and cerebellar vermis, kinking of the brainstem, aqueductal stenosis, beaking of the tectum)
    • Dandy-Walker malformation (absence of cerebellar vermis, small cerebellar hemispheres, enlarged posterior fossa, often with cystic 4th ventricle)
    • X-linked and autosomal dominant hydrocephalus; the former is often associated with aqueductal stenosis and mutations in L1CAM on Xq28.
    • Sporadic primary aqueductal stenosis
    • Dysmorphic syndromes (e.g., Apert syndrome, Cockayne syndrome, Crouzon syndrome, Pfeiffer syndrome, trisomy 13, trisomy 18, trisomy 21, triploidy)
    • Alexander disease
    • Mucopolysaccharidoses (e.g., type II (Hunter), type VI, (Maroteaux-Lamy)
    • Migrational disorders/congenital muscular dystrophies (e.g., Miller-Dieker, muscle-eye-brain disease, Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy, Walker-Warburg syndrome)
    • Achondroplasia
    • Neurocutaneous syndromes (e.g., neurofibromatosis type 1, rare)
    • Idiopathic

» READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Source: The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult, 2008


 » Next page: Risk Factors for Hydrocephalus

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