A Study of Hydrocephalus Using CT scan

Abstract

Hydrocephalus is the common disease occurs in pediatrics and it may occur in the elderly. The main objective of this study is to evaluate the role of CT in diagnosis of this disease and Find out its causes. The study has been carried out in Soba university hospital and EL-Almal national hospital during the period from October 2017 up to march 2018 , selecting a random sample of 35 patients , 16 of them were males and 19 were females with different age who were transferred to CT department to make investigations . Brain ventricles were measured to determine the site of obstruction and then determine the type of hydrocephalus. There are three different types of hydrocephalus, none communicating, communicating, and a third type called normal pressure hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is the buildup of too much cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the brain. Normally, this fluid cushions the brain. When there is too much, it puts harmful pressure on the brain. There are two kind of hydrocephalus. Congenital hydrocephalus is present at birth. Causes include genetic problems and problems with how the fetus develops. An unusually large head is the main sign of congenital hydrocephalus. Acquired hydrocephalus can occur at any age. Causes can include head injuries, stroke, infections, tumors and bleeding in the brain. Hydrocephalus can permanently damage the brain, causing problems with physical and mental development. If untreated, it is usually fatal. With treatment, many people lead normal lives with few limitations. Treatment usually involves surgery to insert a shunt. The problem of the study is increase the number of cases with hydrocephalus. The main objective has been to study hydrocephalus using computer tomography, while specific objectives have been done to correlate causes of hydrocephalus with age, to measure size of lateral ventricle, to correlate clinical sign and symptoms with cause, to classify types of hydrocephalus. The technique used in cases of my research, all axial images studied by senior radiologist to diagnose the stage of hydrocephalus , types and causes, the data analyzed through statistical package for social science . My result found that the females affected with hydrocephalus are more common than males 54.7%_ 54.3% the none communicating type is 57.1% while the communicating is 57.1% , congenital anomalies are the most common cause of hydrocephalus 28.6% , enlargement of head is the most common sign 54.3% , the maximum size of the lateral ventricle is 22 , the minimum is 10 , the most common site of restriction in hydrocephalus is the lateral ventricle the dilated lateral ventricle equal 97% while the normal third ventricle is 2.9% . Finally hydrocephalus is a disease occurs in neonate and children below 10 years, the most common type was none communicating and the main cause is congenital.