Hydrocephalus & Sodium Deficiency

Hydrocephalus, derived from the Greek words hydro, meaning water, and cephalus, meaning head, is a medical condition caused by the abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles, or cavities, of the brain. Hydrocephalus causes an increase in pressure inside the skull, which can lead to an enlargement of the head, convulsions, tunnel vision, mental disability and even death. Continual drainage of cerebrospinal fluid, which is the immediate treatment for hydrocephalus, can often lead to a decrease in sodium levels in the body.

Types of Hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus can develop during embryonic development or acquired at any age. Developmental anomalies can arise as a consequence of an inherited genetic disease or as a result of events or influences during embryonic development. Acquired hydrocephalus develops as a result of injury or disease, particularly brain hemorrhage or infection, head trauma, and stroke. Regardless of the cause, hydrocephalus will develop as one of four types: communicating hydrocephalus, non-communicating hydrocephalus, ex-vacuo hydrocephalus, or normal pressure hydrocephalus.
It is worth noting that hydrocephalus should not be confused with other types of brain swelling, which are often caused by changes in the water levels between the nerve cells of the brain and the extracellular space.

Diagnosing Hydrocephalus

All types of hydrocephalus are diagnosed through clinical neurological evaluation and cranial imaging techniques, such as ultrasound, computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. Techniques to monitor cranial pressure may also be used. The exact diagnostic procedure used will depend on the patient’s age, clinical presentation, and whether or not they present with any known or suspected abnormalities of the brain or spinal cord. The use of non-invasive imaging techniques allows the clinician to accurately measure the size of the fluid filled ventricles in the skull.

Treatments for Hydrocephalus

The most common treatment for hydrocephalus involves the surgical insertion of a shunt. A shunt is a thin plastic tube that diverts the excess cerebrospinal fluid from the ventricle to another part of the body, most commonly the abdomen. All shunts contain a valve that controls the flow of cerebrospinal fluid and these can be set to accommodate different pressures in different individuals.
Another, less common, treatment for hydrocephalus is known as endoscopic third ventriculostomy, or ETV. This involves a surgical procedure to make a hole in the floor of the third ventricle, allowing the cerebrospinal fluid to bypass the obstruction and flow to a site where it can be absorbed.

Hydrocephalus and Sodium Deficiency

The immediate treatment for hydrocephalus, particularly in newborn infants, is to relieve the cranial pressure by draining excess cerebrospinal fluid. According to a research paper by MacMahon and Cooke, this treatment can lead to further complications. They reported that the repeated drainage of cerebrospinal fluid can lead to incidences of sodium deficiency, when the levels of sodium in the body fall to dangerously low levels. Infants presenting with this deficiency were given oral sodium supplements to return their levels to normal.
Other brain swelling disorders are caused by low sodium levels, reinforcing how important it is to regulate the levels of sodium in the body.