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Symptomatic Occult Hydrocephalus with Normal Cerebrospinal-Fluid Pressure — A Treatable Syndrome

List of authors.
  • R. D. Adams, M.D.†,
  • C. M. Fisher, M.D.‡,
  • S. Hakim, M.D.§,
  • R. G. Ojemann, M.D.,
  • and W. H. Sweet, M.D.ǁ

THE term hydrocephalus refers to distention of the cerebral ventricles, usually as the result of obstruction somewhere along the pathway of the cerebrospinal-fluid circulation. Occult indicates that enlargement of the ventricles has occurred after union of the cranial sutures, and hence the head remains of normal size. Hydrocephalus is said to be noncommunicating or obstructive if the blockade of circulation is in the ventricular system and communicating or nonobstructive if there is a normal patency of the pathways from the ventricular system to the lumbar subarachnoid space. Its causes are numerous and include tumors encroaching on the ventricles, carcinomatosis of . . .

Funding and Disclosures

* From the Neurology and Neurosurgical services, Massachusetts General Hospital, and the Departments of Neurology and Surgery (Neurosurgery) Harvard Medical School, Boston, and the Neurosurgical Service, Military Hospital and the Neurology Department, National University, Bogotá, Colombia.

Supported, in part, by the Harrington Fund, Harvard Medical School.

Author Affiliations

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, AND BOGOTÁ, COLOMBIA

† Bullard Professor of Neuropathology, Harvard Medical School; chief, Neurology Service, and neuropathologist, Massachusetts General Hospital.

‡ Assistant professor of neurology, Harvard Medical School; neurologist, Massachusetts General Hospital.

§ Associate professor of neurology, National University; chief, Neurosurgical Service, Military Hospital, Bogotá, Colombia; formerly, research fellow in neurology and assistant in neuropathology, Harvard Medical School.

¶ Instructor in surgery, Harvard Medical School; assistant in neurosurgery, Massachusetts General Hospital.

ǁ Associate professor of surgery, Harvard Medical School; chief, Neurosurgical Service, Massachusetts General Hospital.

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