HYDROCEPHALUS

CAUSES OF HYDROCEPHALUS AMONG DIFFERENT AGE GROUPS

Abstract

Objectives: To know about the causes of hydrocephalus (HDC) among the
different age groups. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Setting: Department of neurosurgery
PGMI/LRH. Period: August 2012 to September 2013. Materials and Methods: The operative
records and the admission records of all the patients who were admitted and operated during
the study period were checked. All the patients undergoing surgery for hydrocephalus were
included in the study and those patients who had undergone surgery for other reasons were
excluded from the study. Patient s who had a repeated surgery for hydrocephalus were also
excluded from the study as well as those who were re-admitted for shunt related or surgery
related complications. The age, gender, and the radiological diagnosis of hydrocephalus was
recorded on a designed proforma. All the patients were grouped into two that is above and
below 12 years. Etiology wise HDC was classified as either congenital, post-infectious, tumor
related, post trauma or miscelenous. The data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version
16. Results: A total of 634 admission for Hydrocephalus were reviewed. 387 patients fulfilled
the inclusion criteria. There were 209 males and 178 females. The age range was from 1 month
to 69 years and the mean age was 8±4.6 years. There were 67.67% of the patients in the group
I while 33.33% of patients in the Group II. There was almost equal distribution on in the group
II based on the age difference. The major causes in the group I were the congenital, post
infectious, and tumor related while in the group II the main causes were the PIH, post tumor and
the post hemorrhagic. Conclusion: The most common causes of the HDC in the pediatric age
group are the congenital, PIH and tumor related. In adults the most common causes of the HDC
are the PIH, post Hemorrhagic HDC and tumor related Hydrocephalus.