What we don't (but should) know about hydrocephalus.
In an effort to identify critical gaps in the prevailing knowledge of hydrocephalus, the authors formulated 10 key questions. 1) How do we define hydrocephalus? 2) How is cerebrosinal fluid (CSF) absorbed normally and what are the causes of CSF malabsorption in hydrocephalus? 3) Why do the ventricles dilate in communicating hydrocephalus? 4) What happens to the structure and function of the brain when it is compressed and stretched by the expanding ventricles? 5) What is the role of cerebrovenous pressure in hydrocephalus? 6) What causes normal-pressure hydrocephalus? 7) What causes low-pressure hydrocephalus? 8) What is the pathophysiology of slit ventricle syndrome? 9) What is the pathophysiological basis for neurological impairment in hydrocephalus, and to what extent is it reversible? 10) How is the brain of a child with hydrocephalus different from that of a young or elderly adult? Rigorous answers to these questions should lead to more effective and reliable treatments for this disorder.
Department of Neurosurgery, University of California at Los Angeles, California, USA.
Marvin
M
Bergsneider
Michael R
MR
Egnor
Miles
M
Johnston
Dory
D
Kranz
Joseph R
JR
Madsen
James P
JP
McAllister
Curt
C
Stewart
Marion L
ML
Walker
Michael A
MA
Williams
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D015170:Cerebrospinal Fluid Pressure; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000150:complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy*; D009626:Terminology as Topic