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Posthemorrhagic Hydrocephalus

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Textbook of Pediatric Neurosurgery

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Abstract

Hydrocephalus comprises a high proportion of children managed at neurosurgical centers. One of the leading causes of hydrocephalus in infants and children is prematurity-related IVH. Intraventricular hemorrhage is the commonest type of brain injury in premature infants and the most prevalent type of neonatal intracranial hemorrhage (Vasileiadis et al. 2004). The primary event in the production of posthemorrhagic hydrocephalus (PHH) consists of bleeding within the periventricular germinal matrix. The subependymal matrix is a highly cellular and richly vascular primitive tissue where neurons and glial precursor cells are formed, that afterwards migrate to the superficial cortical layers. The hemorrhage may destroy and cause loss of the precursor cells producing this particular type of brain injury. The incidence of IVH is directly related to the degree of prematurity. The initial intensity of the hemorrhage and its eventual extension account for the different degrees of the associated brain damage. Numerous factors are involved in the production of germinal matrix hemorrhage. Accordingly, preventive measures are to be directed toward the avoidance of these factors. In this chapter, we will discuss the current views on the pathophysiology, diagnosis, and management of both IVH and PHH.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Section of Pediatric Neurosurgery, Regional Service of Neurosurgery, Virgen de la Arrixaca University Hospital, Murcia, Spain

    Juan F. Martínez-Lage, Antonio L. López-Guerrero & María-José Almagro

  2. Department of Surgery, Pediatrics and Gynecology, Murcia University School of Medicine, Murcia, Spain

    Juan F. Martínez-Lage & Antonio L. López-Guerrero

Authors
  1. Juan F. Martínez-Lage
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  2. Antonio L. López-Guerrero
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  3. María-José Almagro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Juan F. Martínez-Lage .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Pediatric Neurosurgery, International Neuroscience Institute, Hannover, Germany

    Concezio Di Rocco

  2. Department of Paediatric Neurosurgery, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, NHS Trust, London, UK

    Dachling Pang

  3. Division of Neurosurgery, The Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON, Canada

    James T. Rutka

Section Editor information

  1. Director of Pediatric Neurosurgery, International Neuroscience Institute, Hannover, Germany

    Concezio Di Rocco

  2. Pediatric Neurosurgery, Institute of Neurosurgery, Catholic University Medical School, Rome, Italy

    Gianpiero Tamburrini

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Martínez-Lage, J.F., López-Guerrero, A.L., Almagro, MJ. (2020). Posthemorrhagic Hydrocephalus. In: Di Rocco, C., Pang, D., Rutka, J. (eds) Textbook of Pediatric Neurosurgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72168-2_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72168-2_17

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-72167-5

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-72168-2

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