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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staffIn babies and young children, hydrocephalus is likely to be diagnosed:
- During gestation as part of a routine prenatal ultrasound
- During infancy or early childhood, when the head is regularly measured as part of growth monitoring
If your baby's head is visibly enlarged or its growth over time is more rapid than that of other infants, your doctor may recommend an ultrasound of the head. If the results of the ultrasound are abnormal, your infant will need further evaluation.
In older children and adults, a doctor may diagnose hydrocephalus after the child or adult develops signs or symptoms of the condition. To help make the diagnosis, your doctor is likely to perform:
- A careful medical history
- A physical and neurological examination
- Computerized tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
If detailed pictures of the brain from imaging tests reveal hydrocephalus or other abnormalities, referral to a brain surgeon for further evaluation and treatment is likely.
- Hydrocephalus fact sheet. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/hydrocephalus/detail_hydrocephalus.htm?css=print. Accessed July 17, 2009.
- Fishman MA. Hydrocephalus. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed July 17, 2009.
- Golden JA, et al. Developmental structural disorders. In: Goetz GD. Textbook of Clinical Neurology. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: W.B. Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/150609977-3/864809399/1488/253.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3618-0..10028-1_1756. Accessed July 17, 2009.
- About hydrocephalus: A book for families. Hydrocephalus Association. http://www.hydroassoc.org/docs/AboutHydrocephalus-A_Book_for_Families_Dec08.pdf. Accessed July 17, 2009.
- Meningococcal: Who needs to be vaccinated? http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/mening/who-vaccinate.htm. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Accessed July 17, 2009.
