Hydrocephalus;

Abstract

To know about the causes of hydrocephalus (HDC) among the different age groups. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Setting: Department of neurosurgery PGMI/LRH. Period: August 2012 to September 2013. Materials and Methods: The operative records and the admission records of all the patients who were admitted and operated during the study period were checked. All the patients undergoing surgery for hydrocephalus were included in the study and those patients who had undergone surgery for other reasons were excluded from the study. Patient s who had a repeated surgery for hydrocephalus were also excluded from the study as well as those who were re-admitted for shunt related or surgery related complications. The age, gender, and the radiological diagnosis of hydrocephalus was recorded on a designed proforma. All the patients were grouped into two that is above and below 12 years. Etiology wise HDC was classified as either congenital, post-infectious, tumor related, post trauma or miscelenous. The data was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 16. Results: A total of 634 admission for Hydrocephalus were reviewed. 387 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. There were 209 males and 178 females. The age range was from 1 month to 69 years and the mean age was 8±4.6 years. There were 67.67% of the patients in the group I while 33.33% of patients in the Group II. There was almost equal distribution on in the group II based on the age difference. The major causes in the group I were the congenital, post infectious, and tumor related while in the group II the main causes were the PIH, post tumor and the post hemorrhagic. Conclusion: The most common causes of the HDC in the pediatric age group are the congenital, PIH and tumor related. In adults the most common causes of the HDC are the PIH, post Hemorrhagic HDC and tumor related Hydrocephalus.