1. Too Much Water on the Brain
External hydrocephalus, which is also known as benign external hydrocephalus because of it's self limiting condition, is simply fluid that has collected around the outside of the skull. In more general terms, it's simply "water on the brain." This "water" is actually cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), which is the normal contents of the brain, but in this case, there is just too much of it.
2. Growing Too Fast
The reason your baby needs to be in for weight and length checks might be obvious, but why do they need to measure the baby's head circumference so often? It is to check for diseases like external hydrocephalus and other more serious medical brain abnormalities. This simple check will tell your pediatrician if your little one needs further testing. If your child is suffering from external hydrocephalus, it will show through a rapidly enlarging head. The testing will indicate whether your child has this disease or something more serious.
3. Diagnosis Through Imaging
In testing for external hydrocephalus, your child may need to have several imaging tests performed to make a definitive diagnosis. These imaging tests may include ultrasound, especially if the child is still in the womb, MRI imaging and a CT scan. There is also a fetal MRI, known as a fast MRI, in which the pregnant woman is scanned, as the name indicates, fast. All of these imaging techniques are designed to locate the possible problem with the fluid on the brain and determine what therapies will work best for the person's particular situation. This imaging should quickly determine if you are dealing with a case of external hydrocephalus or the more serious internal hydrocephalus.
4. Treatment: There Is None
There is no treatment. That doesn't mean, however, your child will suffer long from this condition. Just as the name implies, benign external hydrocephalus is a self-limiting disease. Experts from Oregon University state that this type of hydrocephalus resolves in most patients by school age. Some medical researchers are finding that typically this condition resolves much earlier, somewhere around 18 months of age.
5. YOU Are the First Line of Defense
The only way to know whether your child has external hydrocephalus is to get regular medical checkups. A diagnosis can more easily be determined if there is a development history for your pediatrician to look at. Also, anytime you sense anything wrong with your child, you should give your doctor a call. As parents, sometimes we tend to worry too much about certain conditions, but when it comes to brain development, you cannot be too careful.
