Demographic and clinical presentations of pediatric hydrocephalus in medical city

ABSTRACT

Hydrocephalus is distension of the ventricular system of the brain related to inadequate passage of cerebrospinal fluid from its points of production within the ventricular system to its points of absorption into the systemic circulation. To study the demographic and clinical presentations of pediatric hydrocephalus in medical city complex, Baghdad. This is a prospective study ,which was carried out on 100 children with a mean age +/- standard deviation [24.3 +/- 16.06]months and median 16 months, who were admitted to Children Welfare Teaching Hospital and neurosurgical department [Surgical Specialties Hospital] / Medical City complex, Baghdad in the period from April first 2009 to October first 2009. A specially designed questionnaires were used to aid the investigators in performing a family interview. General and neurological examinations, and investigations including neuroimaging studies were done. Of 100 patients,[62%]were males and [38%] were females, with male to female ratio of 1.61. Family history of congenital anomaly was positive in [26%] of patients, while hydrocephalus was positive in [14%]. Seventy-Two percent of patients had congenital hydrocephalus. Eighty-Seven percent of patients were full term. Fifty-Seven percent of patients were products of NVD ,while [43%] were products of CS,[2%] of them were emergency CS and [41%] were elective. The macrocephaly was diagnosed or noted at birth in [32%] of patients. The study showed that U/S finding of hydrocephalus was positive in [49%]. The majority of the patients had congenital hydrocephalus, but there was delay in the diagnosis of macrocephaly. Prenatal ultrasound diagnosis yield was low in this study. Family history of hydrocephalus and other neural tube defect was important to be elicited