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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staff
Hydrocephalus is usually treated with surgery. Options include:
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Shunt placement. The most common treatment for hydrocephalus is the surgical insertion of a drainage system, called a shunt. It consists of a long flexible tube with a valve that keeps fluid from the brain flowing in the right direction and at the proper rate. One end of the tubing is usually placed in one of the brain's ventricles. The tubing is then tunneled under the skin to another part of the body where the excess cerebrospinal fluid can be more easily absorbed — such as the abdomen or a chamber in the heart.
People who have hydrocephalus usually need a shunt system for the rest of their lives, so additional surgeries may be needed to insert longer tubing to match a child's growth. Revisions to the shunt also may be needed if the tubing becomes blocked or infected.
- Ventriculostomy. This surgical procedure is sometimes used when there's an obstruction of flow between ventricles. In the procedure, your surgeon makes a hole in the bottom of one of the ventricles, to allow the cerebrospinal fluid to flow toward the base of the brain, where normal absorption occurs.
Caring for the whole child
If your child has hydrocephalus, his or her doctor may recommend working with specialists who can help your child thrive in daily life and at school, such as:
- Occupational therapists
- Pediatric psychologists
- Educational experts
These specialists will likely evaluate your child's developmental progress on a regular basis in order to detect any delays in social, intellectual, emotional or physical development. Effective interventions are available to help your child reach his or her full potential.
- 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.
