Hydrocephalus is a serious medical condition in which cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, accumulates under pressure inside the brain. This condition is most commonly found in preterm infants and causes the head to expand excessively, damaging brain tissue. Many preterm infants who suffer from hydrocephalus also develop additional impairments, such as epilepsy, cerebral palsy, visual disabilities or mental retardation, according to Dr. E Fernell in a study published in the 70th volume of “Archives of Disease in Childhood” in 1994.
Hemorrhage
Hydrocephalus after intraventricular hemorrhage or bleeding is one of the most serious complications of premature birth. Bleeding in the brain is the leading cause of hydrocephalus in preterms, says A. Whitelaw, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Bristol in his study published in “Cochrane Library” in 2001. Typically, hydrocephalus is treated by inserting a shunt, a thin tube, in the brain to drain away excess CSF. In preterm infants, such surgery cannot be done and the prognosis for children born extremely early who have developed hydrocephalus as a result of hemorrhage tends to be quite poor.
Inherited Hydrocephalus
Approximately 40 percent of cases involving hydrocephalus have a possible origin in genetics, says Dr. Jun Zhang in a study published in the “Journal of Neurology” in October 2006. According to the author, so far, nine genes associated with hydrocephalus have been identified in animals and one in humans. It is thought that inherited hydrocephalus develops early in pregnancy during the time when neural stem cells grow and specialize.
Materno-Fetal Infections
Hydrocephalus in preterms can also be caused by certain illnesses a mother carries that she then transmits to the fetus. A list created by the Clinical Knowledge Summaries includes syphilis, toxoplasmosis, German measles, mumps and cytomegalovirus as illnesses and infections that can cause congenital hydrocephalus.
Disorders of CSF Production
Disorders in CSF production are the rarest cause of hydrocephalus in preterms. These disorders are usually caused by slow-growing tumors that are often located in the ventricles, such as choroid plexus papilloma. Dr. Purva Gopal states in an article published in the 132nd volume of “Archives of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine” in 1988 that choroid plexus carcinomas are another type of tumor than can affect CSF production. These tumors are directly located where CSF is produced.
