Question
A friend’s baby has just been born one or two months ago and has developed extracranial hydrocephalus. The friend is extremely worried and scared. What should be done? What is extracranial hydrocephalus?
Answer
Extracranial hydrocephalus refers to an increase in cerebrospinal fluid in the subarachnoid space within the skull, which is an excessive accumulation of fluid in the cavity between the skull and brain tissue. Normally, there is a small amount of fluid in the subarachnoid space, which remains constant due to dynamic balance between secretion and excretion. However, under pathological conditions such as meningeal inflammation and subarachnoid hemorrhage, there may be an increase in cerebrospinal fluid secretion or obstruction in excretion, leading to the retention of fluid in the subarachnoid space. Additionally, in cases of frontal lobe atrophy or malformation, due to the enlargement of the subarachnoid space between the brain and skull, it is also commonly referred to as congenital or inflammatory hydrocephalus. An increase in intraventricular fluid leads to compression of brain tissue, resulting in brain atrophy with poor prognosis, often requiring surgical treatment.