Replacement atrophic hydrocephalus. Replacement hydrocephalus. Classification and causes of external hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus of the brain is a severe disease of the nervous system that leads to neurological defects and can be life threatening. This condition is congenital or develops in adulthood. Surgery is considered the most effective treatment.

There are several types of dropsy of the brain, each of which has its own causes, manifestations and the degree of risk to the life of the patient. The general mechanism for the development of pathology is associated with a violation of the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid from the ventricles of the brain. In children, this forms a characteristic appearance, in adults it leads to an increase in intracranial pressure (ICP).

Causes of congenital hydrocephalus:

pathology of head development;
trauma in childbirth;
hereditary diseases;
intrauterine infection;
side effects of drugs taken by the mother;
unhealthy lifestyle of parents (alcohol, smoking, drugs).

Congenital dropsy has a more pronounced effect on the development of the nervous system, almost always accompanied by atrophic processes in the brain. Causes of acquired hydrocephalus:

transferred meningitis, encephalitis;
consequences of strokes;
brain tumors;
head injury;
complications of chronic diseases (diabetes mellitus, tuberculosis, vascular pathologies).

Injuries to the skull are especially dangerous in that their consequences for a long time may not raise doubts either among the victim himself or his relatives. After a blow or fall, it can take a long time before a person notices that it has become difficult for him to concentrate, and his head hurts too often.

Depending on the causes, symptoms, and severity of the condition, there are several classifications of the disease. By origin, congenital and acquired hydrocephalus are distinguished. According to the features of the flow, it happens:

closed(occlusive) - there is an obstacle in the way of the exit of cerebrospinal fluid;
open(non-occlusive) - normal communication between the ventricles of the brain and the bloodstream;
hypersecretory- occurs due to excess production of liquor.

It is also accepted to divide into internal (fluid accumulates in the ventricles) and external (in the subarachnoid space) hydrocephalus. According to clinical signs, acute (up to 3 days), subacute (up to a month) and chronic (more than 30 days) form can be distinguished. According to the dynamics of the development of pathology:

progressive- the most dangerous type, characterized by a gradual increase in symptoms;
regressive- mild type, recovery is possible;
stable– there are no significant state changes.

If the ventricles are affected, then a monoventricular form is isolated, when only one of them is involved in the pathological process. More rare variants of the course are biventricular and triventricular dropsy. In this case, several ventricles are affected, and the outflow of fluid from them is impossible. Such pathologies are more severe and dangerous, worse treatable.

Symptoms of the disease

The clinic can be conditionally divided into deterioration of the general condition, cerebral symptoms and focal phenomena. In any case, the main damaging factors are fluid accumulation and increased intracranial pressure, hypotrophic and atrophic changes in the adjacent nervous tissue.

Deterioration of the general condition is a rather uncharacteristic and unexpressed symptomatology that does not allow an unambiguous diagnosis. It is manifested by moderate headaches, nausea, less often - discomfort in the eyes, which is paroxysmal in nature. These signs are most pronounced with internal hydrocephalus, and with external they are insignificant.

Cerebral symptoms are associated with malnutrition of the brain, at the initial stages they are accompanied by general signs, they are not of great value for diagnosis. These manifestations include convulsive syndrome, photophobia, tinnitus, impaired memory, attention, coordination of movements.

Of higher value for diagnosis are focal phenomena that are associated with the expansion of the cerebral ventricles. They accurately indicate the affected area. Most often they manifest themselves in the form of a violation of the sensitivity of the limbs, paralysis, partial convulsive seizures (when one area is affected, for example, an arm or leg), they can be both asymmetric and symmetrical.

In children of the first year of life, a hydrocephalic syndrome is formed - an increase in head volume, a lag in physical and intellectual development, up to severe mental retardation. With a mild degree of the disease, partial restoration of functions is possible, and with timely surgical intervention, hydrocephalus becomes curable. If the genesis of the disease is caused by intrauterine causes, the death of a small hydrocephalus during childbirth or during the first year of life is possible.

Characteristic signs of pathology in children are a disproportionately large head, retraction of the eyeballs. The fontanel does not pulsate, protrudes above the surface of the skull (hernia of the fontanel). The baby constantly cries or, on the contrary, is lethargic and does not show emotions.

Separately, it is worth mentioning another form of the disease - vicarious. Its other name is substitution. It develops mainly in the elderly. The essence of the disease is that atrophic processes in the nervous tissue are primary, which increases the volume of formation in which cerebrospinal fluid is collected. ICP does not rise, so this type of disease is called normotensive. It is practically incurable in itself, since it is a consequence, not a cause.

Diagnostics

The presence of hydrocephalus in adults is determined by a neurologist or neurosurgeon, in children - by a pediatric neurologist, and with obvious signs of a change in the shape of the skull - by a pediatrician. The doctor begins the diagnosis with an examination that reveals certain disorders, pathologies of perception (vision, hearing), swelling of the veins on the head, in young children - an increase in the size of the skull, retraction of the eyeballs. If acquired hydrocephalus is suspected in adults, anamnesis data becomes important: injuries, inflammatory diseases, etc.

But the first place in the diagnosis of dropsy belongs to instrumental methods. The most informative is MSCT (multispiral computed tomography). It allows you to see the dilated ventricles or subarachnoid cisterns, as well as tumors, if they are the cause of the disease. The same method allows you to distinguish between closed and open forms of pathology.

Echoencephalography (ultrasound of the brain) clarifies the condition of the vessels, the possible risk of complications on their part. The method is very important if the doctor suggests that the cause of dropsy was a hemorrhagic stroke. In newborns, a similar examination is used - ultrasonography, which allows you to identify hydrocephalus due to genetic causes or trauma in childbirth.

To determine the consequences of the disease, ophthalmoscopy is used (increased ICP can cause glaucoma), lumbar puncture (shows the composition and pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid), determining the patient's neurological status and identifying mental disorders, if any.

Differential diagnosis in adults is carried out with other pathologies of the nervous system that cause degenerative processes in the brain - dementia, Alzheimer's disease, tumors that do not interfere with the outflow of CSF.

An early way to detect congenital disorders is intrauterine determination of the size and shape of the transparent septum of the brain. This structure consists of two plates of brain tissue and a small cavity between them. Normally, it contains liquor. Thickening and cyst formation of the pellucid septum is a fairly common occurrence that easily resolves after birth. A much more dangerous sign is the partial or complete absence of structure, which leads to significant brain pathologies.

Surgery

Surgery is the most effective way to get rid of dropsy. For treatment, several types of intervention are used:

removal of the cause of the disease with a closed form(thrombus, tumors, partitions);
shunting with communicating(open) or hypersecretory form, if it is impossible to eliminate the cause of the pathology;
combined operations with a mixed type.

In most cases, the doctor decides to bypass the affected ventricle of the brain. The essence of the operation is that a tube (shunt) is implanted in the patient, which removes excess fluid from the focus of the disease. The free end of the implant is directed into the abdominal cavity, less often into the atrium. An artificial message allows you to get rid of unnecessary liquor and bring it to a place where absorption into the blood is not impaired. The result is the restoration of normal liquor circulation, the cessation of its accumulation in the cranial cavity. If the operation is performed on a child, then the shunt is installed “for growth” and is replaced every few years. So that due to the pressure difference there is no reverse flow of the liquid, it is equipped with a valve, the circuit of which allows the movement of the cerebrospinal fluid only in the right direction.

If the disease can be cured, the causative factors are eliminated: blood clots and blood clots, tumors, adhesions. Such operations can prolong the life of the patient. If the measures taken are not enough and the fluid continues to accumulate, an additional bypass may be performed.

There are a number of contraindications to the operation:

active inflammatory process in the nervous tissue- encephalitis, meningitis, ventriculitis;
stable or regressive form of dropsy;
irreversible consequences of the disease- blindness, neurological disorders, atrophy of the cerebral hemispheres;
exhaustion, severe pathologies of the heart, blood vessels, respiratory system.

To reduce the risk, endoscopic operations are widely used: installation and revision of a shunt, removal of hematomas and small tumors, destruction of adhesions and septa. This is relevant in case of monoventricular pathology, in more severe cases, techniques with craniotomy are used.

Rehabilitation and drug treatment

Medicines are prescribed for a stable or regressing form of the disease, with contraindications to surgery or in the recovery period after it. The choice of drugs depends on the patient's condition and the severity of the disease.

To improve the outflow of fluid, Mannitol or Diacarb is used, they bring it into the bloodstream. In addition to drugs, diuretics of the thiazide group are taken, for example, Furosemide. It prevents an increase in blood pressure while taking potassium-sparing diuretics.

To improve the nutrition of the nervous tissue and its blood supply, Detralex, Glycine and Piracetam are prescribed. As symptomatic agents, anticonvulsant, anti-inflammatory and sedative medications can be used. In the early stages, treatment at home is possible, but if the disease progresses, it is necessary to go to the hospital. The doctor will decide whether a course of drugs is enough or surgery is needed.

Rehabilitation measures help the patient to live with the consequences of the disease or shunt after surgery. He needs to limit physical activity, follow a diet with strict control of fluid and salt. You should also regularly undergo examination by a neurologist and attend medical procedures.

Modern medicine does not deny the use of some non-traditional methods of treatment. Hirudotherapy is considered the most effective among them: leeches reduce arterial and intracranial pressure. The use of various herbs to improve well-being is permissible only with the consent of the attending physician. The effectiveness of homeopathy and similar remedies has not been proven by clinical trials.

Complications and prognosis

Why is hydrocephalus dangerous? The prognosis of the disease should be considered separately for children and adults. Congenital forms caused by pathology of intrauterine development are considered the most severe. Most often, small patients are born with irreversible damage to the nervous tissue, which leads to death or severe mental impairment.

Babies who are traumatized at birth or in their first year of life are much more likely to improve if treatment is started on time. If not, the risk of disability is high. In the presence of a shunt, the baby develops normally, due to the plasticity of the nervous system, brain functions are quickly restored, but regular examinations and replacement of the implant are required as the child grows.

In adults, the prognosis depends on the form of the disease. Acute hydrocephalus can go away without consequences if it is treated in a timely manner. The chronic form is amenable to medical or surgical elimination, requires long-term rehabilitation. The most difficult thing is with the replacement type, when hydrocephalus is only a consequence of the underlying disease, so it is useless to fight it.

The most dangerous complications of dropsy of the brain:

oligophrenia in children;
paralysis, paresis of the limbs;
epileptic seizures;
mental disorders;
glaucoma and blindness.

The prognosis for working capacity depends on the result of medical manipulations. With successful treatment, it is possible for adult patients to return to work, and children to study and play. The only limitation is physical activity: patients should exercise caution and stop exercising if discomfort occurs.

Untimely or ineffective treatment leads to disability. At the same time, the cost of rehabilitation measures is quite high, despite the stipulated benefits. In the most severe cases, death is possible. Young men of military age who have a shunt are not considered fit for military service.

Conclusion

Dropsy of the brain is a serious disease that requires early surgical intervention. An operation is the most reliable way to recover and avoid complications, medications, and even more so folk remedies, can only be used as additional and supportive measures.

The cost of rehabilitation measures, drugs and surgery may be high, but it fully justifies itself, allowing the patient to maintain a quality of life close to the previous one. Timely measures taken can save his health.

Various neurological pathologies are increasingly common in modern people. And the reason for this, as a rule, is not only the deplorable state of the environment, but also the dizzying rhythm of modern life, frequent stresses and other diverse and very dangerous factors that have already become part of our daily lives. One of the most serious and widespread neurological diseases is external replacement hydrocephalus, more popularly known as "dropsy of the brain".

Definition and general characteristics of the disease

The popular name very accurately and quite fully characterizes the essence of this pathology. But if expressed in the language of medical terminology, external replacement hydrocephalus is a nosological form of various pathological manifestations in the space of the cranium, characterized by a significant expansion of the ventricular system of the brain and a strong narrowing of the subarachnoid cavities due to excessive accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid, also called cerebrospinal fluid, as a result of various violations of its circulation, absorption or secretion. The main characteristic of this serious disease is a significant decrease in the volume of the medulla and the filling of the vacated space with cerebrospinal fluid.

Causes of hydrocephalic pathology

Forms of hydrocephalic syndrome and its symptoms

According to the nature of its course, substitutive hydrocephalus is divided into an active form and a passive one. The first is characterized by a significant expansion of CSF-containing cavities and requires immediate treatment. In the passive (latent) form of hydrocephalus, there is an expansion of liquor-containing spaces due to the primary destruction of the structural tissues of the cerebral cortex by various pathological processes. As for the symptoms of this pathology, it is usually manifested by nausea, vomiting and (at a later stage) dysfunction of the vestibular apparatus - a disorder of coordination of movements.

Diagnostics

The leading diagnostic methods that allow timely detection of hidden hydrocephalic processes are computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, isotope encephalography, which is quite effective for the timely detection of destructive changes occurring in the cranial cavities. X-ray, ultrasound, and angiography are often used as aids to clarify the diagnosis.

Treatment

External replacement hydrocephalus, the treatment of which requires a particularly responsible approach and professionalism from the doctor, and from the patient - patience, understanding and awareness of the complexity of this clinical case, often involves surgical intervention. Since it is not possible to achieve a significant clinical effect by medical methods. And by means of a bypass operation in 80% of cases, it is possible to completely remove the excess amount of cerebrospinal fluid and thereby return the patient to a healthy life. Of the drug methods, one can distinguish the use of the drug "Diakarb" - a powerful diuretic that restores the functions of the central nervous system and controls the outflow of cerebrospinal fluid.

Currently, the number of people who suffer from diseases of the nervous system is increasing. The provoking factors are stress, emotional overload, unfavorable environmental background and lifestyle. External replacement hydrocephalus can also be attributed to this group of diseases.

Key Aspects

In some cases of inflammatory diseases of the central nervous system, traumas and developmental disorders, pathological processes involving vessels are accompanied by the formation of external replacement hydrocephalus of the brain.

The essence of this syndrome, as well as open hydrocephalus, lies in the fact that there is a violation of the processes of production and absorption of cerebrospinal fluid. This leads to an increase in its amount and accumulation in the cranial cavity.

If the fluid is localized in spaces outside the structures of the brain, the prognosis will be more favorable compared to the pathological process that extends to the cerebral ventricles. With timely detection and treatment, the disease does not pose any threat to human life.

The cause of the formation may also be inflammatory processes. The peculiarity of their course lies in the fact that the volume of production of cerebrospinal fluid does not increase, but liquor stagnates.

But an important point that needs to be paid attention to is that in any case, an increase in the amount of cerebrospinal fluid in the cranial cavity leads to external compression (that is, compression) of the brain. There is a progressive decrease in the number of nerve cells. And this, in turn, leads to the formation of pathological symptoms, the appearance of which makes a person go to a medical institution.

Classification

The presented pathological condition is distributed depending on:

Origin. It can be either hereditary or acquired.
Flow features. Allocate acute, chronic and subacute hydrocephalus.

Acute features are considered to be that from the moment the first pathological symptoms appear to impaired functioning of the brain, it usually takes three days.

As for subacute, its duration is about a month.

Chronic develops from six months or longer. A latent form is distinguished, which is considered more dangerous than a progressive one, since it does not manifest itself in any way.

The disease is already in advanced form. It is characterized by a constant course, in which there is no decrease in brain volume and an increase in cerebrospinal fluid.

There is also a progressive form, in which there is a rapid increase in symptoms. Her treatment must be cardinal, otherwise there will be severe pain in the head, urinary incontinence, dementia, and even a violation of motor functions. If left untreated, the patient may die.

Causes

The main provoking factor in the formation of external replacement hydrocephalus is considered to be an imbalance between the formation of cerebrospinal fluid (its amount may increase as a result of the presence of vascular and metabolic diseases of the brain) and absorption (this process may be disturbed due to the presence of inflammatory processes that spread to the membranes of the brain and its substance) .

The list of causes that most often provoke the onset of the disease includes:

hypoxia fetus;
defeat nervous the child's system of an infectious nature, which occurred in utero or immediately after birth;
nervous system damage infectious character in an adult;
intoxication exogenous or endogenous origin;
state changes vessels, that occur with age;
traumatic brain damage;
shake brain and alcohol dependence in anamnesis.

Treatment of this pathological condition will be effective and efficient only if the provoking factor is correctly identified and measures are taken to eliminate it.

Clinical picture

The most common clinical manifestations of the disease include:

feeling pain in the head (a feature of this symptom is that it worries patients mainly in the morning);
alternating rises and falls in blood pressure pressure;
violation cardiac rhythm;
tachycardia;
an increase in the amount allocated sweat;
nausea;
vomit;
disorders sleep, which manifest themselves as a violation of falling asleep and drowsiness during the day;
elevated level nervousness;
emotional restlessness and irritability;
violation vision;
in some cases change walk.

Cases when the disease leads to memory loss, absent-mindedness and the inability to carry out even the simplest calculations in the mind are considered not uncommon.

As a result, the formation of dementia or mental disorders of a different nature can be observed. These pathological conditions, in turn, can cause epileptic seizures and even a coma.

Diagnostic measures

The following methods are used to diagnose hydrocephalus:

Magnetic resonance tomography. This study helps to obtain an MR picture, the analysis of which will provide information about the stage of the disease, the volume of fluid and its localization.
Computer tomography.
Ophthalmoscopy. With the help of this type of research, an examination of the fundus is carried out.
Analysis spinal fluid obtained as a result of the puncture.
Analyzes blood, which allow to detect the presence of pathogens in the body.
ultrasound(ultrasound examination) of the vessels of the head and neck.
Angiography(i.e. examination of the state of the vessels). The study is carried out by introducing a contrast agent into the lumen of the vessel.

These studies make it possible to identify the disease, find out at what stage of development it is, and also choose the best treatment option.

Treatment methods for the disease

The choice of treatment will depend on how severe the course of the disease is. Since one of the main symptoms of the disease is intracranial hypertension, treatment should be directed, first of all, to its elimination.

For this purpose, drugs are prescribed that are endowed with the ability to influence the production of cerebrospinal fluid in a certain way:

Diacarb;
vascular drugs;
trophic drugs.

If it is not possible to eliminate the pathological symptoms in a conservative way, then the symptoms of the disease are eliminated surgically, by carrying out:

spinal punctures;
shunting meningeal spaces of the brain using endoscopic or traditional neurosurgical operations.

Bypass surgery is preferred in most cases. This surgery allows you to create a bypass route for fluid. For this purpose, flexible tubes are introduced into the intracranial space and brought out into the internal environment of the body.

A significant number of neurosurgeons practice endoscopic operations, during which holes are formed through which excess cerebrospinal fluid flows into the cisterns of the brain. The process itself is monitored on the monitor, this is possible due to the fact that the endoscope is equipped with a microscopic camera.

This intervention has certain advantages:

Minimal risk of complications.
The best quality the life of the patient after surgery, as there is no need for regular checks on the condition of the shunts and clogging of the tubes.

Please note that replacement external dropsy is considered a disease, the risk of which accompanies a person throughout all the years of her life. Therefore, even after successful treatment, the patient should be regularly examined by his doctor.

Forecast

In the case of timely detection and treatment of external replacement hydrocephalus at the initial stage, the prognosis is considered positive, and the patient is much more likely to return to his normal life. However, there are cases when the disease leads to impaired speech function.

If medical care and treatment was not carried out in time, then the sick person will lose not only his ability to work and social status, but also his personality.

Consequences and complications

The consequences of external replacement hydrocephalus can be of a different nature. A person can not only become disabled person but also to die, since the processes of a pathological nature that occur in the brain in a given pathological condition can be irreversible.

It must be remembered that the development of external replacement hydrocephalus can also be prevented. To do this, you only need to be attentive to the state of your health and treat viral and infectious diseases (and not only) as early as possible.

The state of the cardiovascular system also requires special attention. A significant role in this matter belongs to proper nutrition. It is necessary to lead a healthy lifestyle, engage in moderate physical activity and give up all bad habits.

Content

Dropsy of the brain or hydrocephalus is a disease that affects not only small children, but also adults. It is very dangerous and can lead to extremely serious consequences. It will be useful for you to know what specific symptoms hydrocephalus has and what are the methods of treating the disease.

What is dropsy of the brain in adults

Hydrocephalus is a disease in which cerebrospinal fluid accumulates in the head. This does not mean ordinary water, but liquor. If dropsy in children, as a rule, is congenital, in which the head is enlarged in size, as can be seen in the photo, then in adults it appears as a result of past diseases. The disease is very difficult to detect and some even die from it. The effectiveness of the treatment of cerebral hydrocephalus in an adult depends entirely on the degree to which it was detected. Each type of dropsy has its own characteristic manifestations.

Symptoms and signs of hydrocephalus

Allocate external, internal and mixed type of dropsy. The latter is considered the most dangerous. Mixed hydrocephalus implies a decrease in the brain, in which the accumulation of fluid occurs both in the space of the ventricles and in the subarachnoid. If it is moderate, then the patient has practically no complaints and he can live with it for a very long time. In more serious cases, the manifestations of hydroencephalopathy in adults are as follows:

Headache. It almost does not pass, but in the morning it is stronger than in other periods.
Nausea. Like a headache, it is especially acute in the morning.
Drowsiness. This symptom signals that hydrocephalus is accompanied by other neurological disorders.
Speech disorders, memory problems.

Outdoor

This is non-occlusive replacement hydrocephalus. The subarachnoid space is enlarged, and fluid accumulates in it. An adult with this disease has the following symptoms:

constant feeling of fatigue;
nausea, vomiting;
minor visual impairment;
sweating;
double vision;
changes in sexual behavior;
walking disorders.

internal

If an adult has triventricular occlusive hydrocephalus, in which CSF fills the spaces of the ventricles, he may suffer from:

increased intracranial pressure;
nausea, vomiting;
severe headaches;
vision and hearing problems.

Causes of hydrocephalus in adults

A huge number of factors can provoke dropsy of the brain. The disease occurs due to:

suffered a stroke;
infectious diseases of the brain and membranes (meningitis, encephalitis, ventriculitis, tuberculosis);
tumors;
vascular pathologies, including aneurysm ruptures;
head injuries and post-traumatic conditions (normotensive hydrocephalus);
developmental disorders of the nervous system;
violations of the production, circulation, absorption of cerebrospinal fluid;
low density of the medulla.

Treatment

Hydrocephalus of the brain in an adult is diagnosed by the following methods:

MRI. It helps not only to verify the correctness of the diagnosis, but also to determine its causes.
CT scan.
Cisternography. Diagnostics serves to determine the type of hydrocephalus.
Neuropsychological examination.
X-ray with contrast agent.

If, as a result of one or more of these studies, the prognosis was confirmed, the following methods of treatment are used:

Medical therapy. The option is suitable if hydrocephalus is moderate. An adult patient is prescribed drugs that lower intracranial pressure (Lasix, Mannitol), diuretics. During the therapy, a light therapeutic massage is also used. All this will help to stabilize the condition of an adult patient, but not to cure it, but to achieve a subcompensated stage.
Shunting of the brain. Not performed for chronic hydroencephaly, inflammation, vision problems, but effective for asymmetric form. An adult patient is given a drain, through which the excess cerebrospinal fluid goes to other spaces of the body. The operation in the vast majority of cases gives a positive result. After some time, an adult fully returns to his normal life. Periodically, a secondary shunt is needed.
Endoscopy. Effective in mixed, replacement, symmetrical hydrocephalus. Endoscopic surgery is performed with microinstruments. With their help, fluid is removed and the cause that disrupts its circulation, for example, a tumor.
Folk remedies. Effective solely to suppress the symptoms that manifest hydrocephalic syndrome. It is recommended to use diuretic herbal decoctions (oregano, bearberry, parsley), juniper berries, alcohol solution of calamus root.
Diet. In the case of hydrocephalus of the brain in an adult, it is necessary to follow the rules of nutrition aimed at improving the exchange of water-salt balance. It is necessary to categorically refuse products, due to which fluid accumulates in the body. These are fresh bread, fatty meat and poultry, smoked meats, sausages, sweets. Instead, you need to eat more fresh vegetables and fruits, cereals. The dishes are best cooked with steam.

External replacement hydrocephalus (ECH) of the brain is the most common form of hydrocephalus, which is popularly called dropsy.

Due to disturbances in the functioning of the central nervous system, cerebrospinal fluid is absorbed into the cranium.

NCG is characterized by a decrease in the volume of the brain, the space freed from brain cells begins to fill with cerebrospinal fluid.

Another difference between NCG and other forms of dropsy is that the disease can develop without obvious symptoms, even for several years.

Symptoms of the disease

External replacement hydrocephalus most often has such symptoms:

headache;
increased blood pressure;
different parts of the body go numb, most often the limbs;
a person may feel short of breath;
darkens in the eyes;
there are violations of coordination;
nausea;
drowsiness.

There is no age limit for the appearance of NCG. Older people and small children can also get sick.

Causes of replacement hydrocephalus

In older people, NCG most often occurs due to atherosclerosis or high blood pressure.

The cause of the onset of the development of the disease may be the abuse of alcohol.

Those who have suffered a concussion are at risk.

In newborns and young children, NIG can begin due to an infection of the nervous system before birth or in the first weeks of life. The reason may also be intrauterine hypoxia.

In older children, adolescents and adults, the disease may develop as a result of metabolic or cervical vertebral dysfunction, infection of the nervous system, brain injury, endogenous or exogenous intoxication.

Disease classification

External replacement hydrocephalus of the brain is classified according to types:

By origin, the disease can be hereditary or acquired.
According to the nature of the development of the disease, acute, subacute and chronic NCG are divided. In the acute form, it takes up to 3 days from the appearance of the first symptoms to the appearance of disorders in the brain. The subacute form of NCG lasts for about a month. The chronic form develops for 6 months or longer.

The passive form of the disease is called "moderate severe external hydrocephalus." Doctors believe that this form is more dangerous than the progressive one. The point is the absence symptoms. When the patient realizes that the problem still exists, externally replaceable hydrocephalus is quite neglected.

Disease may be continuous. At the same time, the volume of the brain does not decrease, and the volume of cerebrospinal fluid does not increase.

If the patient feels satisfactory, the treatment is mild. The patient is prescribed regular monitoring by a specialist and examinations.

With the progressive nature of NCG, it is necessary to treat cardinal methods.

Otherwise, the patient is threatened with dementia or urinary incontinence, severe headaches and impaired motor functions may occur. Sometimes exacerbation or too late treatment to the hospital leads to the death of the patient.

Diagnosis of the disease

The screening program for patients with suspected NCG consists of from:

computed tomography (CT);
magnetic resonance imaging ();
angiography of the vertebral and carotid arteries, cerebral vessels;
blood tests for the presence of pathogens of rubella, syphilis, herpes and toxoplasmosis, which may be the root cause of the appearance of NCG;
fundus research;
lumbar puncture;

The examination is repeated every 6 months. It is necessary even if the patient does not feel symptoms, and his condition is stable. If signs of progressive NCG appear, an extraordinary examination is prescribed.

Treatment of external hydrocephalus

In the photo, external hydrocephalus of the brain in a child

Methods of dealing with the disease can be different.

Doctors, depending on the results of the examination, draw up a therapy program.

Which may include conservative and surgical techniques.

For the treatment of external hydrocephalus in adults to be successful, doctors and the patient need to achieve several goals:

If possible, eliminate root causes emergence of NSG.
Eliminate symptoms. To do this, conservative methods are used - trophic and vascular drugs, diuretics, which have a positive effect on the process of producing cerebrospinal fluid. A satisfactory result of therapy is considered to be a decrease in edema and a stable state of intracranial pressure.
Symptoms can be eliminated by surgical methods. Doctors prescribe a lumbar puncture, with the help of endoscopic and neurosurgical interventions, bypass the meningeal spaces of the brain.
Outpatient treatment takes place in the complex. The patient is offered drugs, salt-coniferous baths and restorative therapy. These methods of therapy are prescribed for a calm and constant course of NCG. Of the drugs can be prescribed for a long period of diuretics and to maintain the balance of electrolytes means that contain potassium.

Surgical treatments

They are resorted to if the disease begins to progress.

Bypass surgery is very effective and restores the normal circulation of cerebrospinal fluid. But it can have complications.

After this type of surgical intervention, the patient quite often needs to undergo repeated operations for the revision of the shunt throughout his life.

The most advanced and priority neurosurgical method is endoscopic treatment of NCG. Endoscopy, compared with bypass surgery, has impressive advantages:

Shunt implantation is not used. This significantly reduces the risk of complications.
It is possible to achieve the restoration of the physiological circulation of the cerebrospinal fluid.
The intensity of surgical intervention is less, the body tolerates the operation more easily.
This operation is cheaper.
The postoperative period and recovery of the patient is much easier and faster.

Today, the only way to deal with external replacement hydrocephalus are surgical methods of treatment.

Conservative methods can only stop the development of this disease.

Disease prevention

If external hydrocephalus of the brain is noticed in time in children, and the treatment is timely, stabilization of all processes and a return to normal development occurs in most cases.

In adolescents and adults, timely and correct treatment also often leads to a complete recovery.

Also worth remember:

Infections have been named among the causes of NCG. For prevention purposes, they should be avoided.
Alcohol abuse causes the development of a huge number of diseases. This, too, must be abandoned.
Atherosclerosis and hypertension are also included in the list of root causes of NCG, but these diseases occur due to low physical activity and malnutrition. Eating healthy foods and moving around will reduce your risk of developing NCG.
After suffering a concussion, it is justified to undergo an examination. The sooner doctors notice the first signs of NCG, the higher the chances of success in treatment.

If dangerous changes occur in your body, you always feel it.

Even without obvious symptoms, a person subconsciously understands that something is wrong with his body. Do not be lazy, do not be afraid that you will be considered paranoid, go for an examination. Early diagnosis for any disease is already 50% success rate.