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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff
Hydrocephalus is caused by an imbalance between how much cerebrospinal fluid is produced and how much is absorbed into the bloodstream.
Cerebrospinal fluid
Cerebrospinal fluid is produced by tissues lining the ventricles of the brain. It flows through the ventricles by way of interconnecting channels and eventually flows into spaces around the brain and spinal column. It's absorbed primarily by blood vessels in tissues near the base of the brain.
Cerebrospinal fluid plays an important role in brain function by:
- Keeping the brain buoyant, allowing the relatively heavy brain to float within the skull
- Cushioning the brain to prevent injury
- Removing waste products of the brain's metabolism
- Flowing back and forth between the brain cavity and spinal column to maintain a constant pressure within the brain — compensating for changes in blood pressure in the brain
Excess fluid
Excess cerebrospinal fluid in the ventricles occurs for one of the following reasons:
- Obstruction. The most common problem is a partial obstruction of the normal flow of cerebrospinal fluid, either from one ventricle to another or from the ventricles to other spaces around the brain.
- Poor absorption. Less common is a problem with the mechanisms that enable the blood vessels to absorb cerebral spinal fluid. This is often related to inflammation of brain tissues from disease or injury.
- Overproduction. Rarely, the mechanisms for producing cerebrospinal fluid create more than normal and more quickly than it can be absorbed.
References
- Hydrocephalus. American Association of Neurological Surgeons. http://www.aans.org/Patient%20Information/Conditions%20and%20Treatments/Hydrocephalus.aspx. Accessed June 11, 2011.
- Hydrocephalus fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/hydrocephalus/detail_hydrocephalus.htm. Accessed June 10, 2011.
- Fishman MA. Hydrocephalus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed May 10, 2011.
- Diagnosis of hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus Association. https://www.hydroassoc.org/hydrocephalus-education-and-support/learning-about-hydrcephalus/diagnosis-of-hydrocephalus. Accessed June 11, 2011.
- Graff-Radford NR. Normal pressure hydrocephalus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed June 10, 2011.
- Life-threatening complications of hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus Association. https://www.hydroassoc.org/hydrocephalus-education-and-support/learning-about-hydrcephalus/life-threatening-complications-of-hydrocephalus. Accessed June 11, 2011.
- Hamilton MG. Treatment of hydrocephalus in adults. Seminars in Pediatric Neurology. 2009;16:34.
- Meningococcal vaccine: Who and when to vaccinate. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/mening/who-vaccinate.htm. Accessed June 28, 2011.
- Wetjen NM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 6, 2011.
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