Question
Recently, a child has shown symptoms of gaze palsy, and after hospital examination, it was diagnosed as pediatric hydrocephalus. Is this condition treatable, and what are the specific treatment methods?
Answer
The treatment risks for pediatric hydrocephalus vary depending on the patient’s age. In acute hydrocephalus in infants, symptoms of intracranial hypertension are usually quite obvious, such as skull fractures, bulging fontanelles, thinning scalp, visible scalp veins, and the head will glow under strong light. When the head is tapped, a solid drumming sound is produced, known as the Macewen sign. The child may appear irritable, expressionless, and have a lack of appetite, and continuously emit a high-pitched and short abnormal cry. The eyes often present a downward gaze, with the upper eyelids not drooping, and the lower part of the eye ball sinking below the eyelid edge, with part of the cornea located below the temporal margin.