Question
Doctor, I have a concern about some symptoms of an enlarged fontanelle. I’m worried it might be pediatric hydrocephalus. Is it easy to treat?
Answer
The treatment of congenital hydrocephalus can be divided into non-surgical treatment and surgical treatment. Generally, for mild hydrocephalus, non-surgical treatment should be tried first, mainly including dehydration therapy and systemic supportive therapy. Surgical treatment is suitable for cases with high intraventricular pressure (over 250mm water column) or those that have failed non-surgical treatment. For severe hydrocephalus, such as when the head circumference exceeds 50cm, the thickness of the cerebral cortex is less than 1cm, and there are serious functional impairments and deformities, surgical treatment may not be effective. It is recommended to seek treatment at children’s hospitals, regular public hospitals, and authoritative pediatric hospitals.