Hydrocephaly

Published on Nervous system.

The term Hydrocephaly comes from the Greek and means “water in the head”. In reality, it is not water but cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a clear liquid which is constantly produced in the cavities (or ventricles) of the brain. It passes from one ventricle to another (there are four in total) through narrow canals and then circulates on the surface of the brain. A small portion descends through the spinal marrow and is absorbed into the blood system. This absorption is carried out by specialized veins inside the cranium that have a surface similar to that of a strainer. Though much slower than blood, cerebrospinal fluid undergoes constant production, circulation, and re-absorption. Hydrocephaly is almost exclusively the result of a blockage of CSF circulation or re-absorption. In this situation, where CSF is constantly produced but unable to circulate, it builds up and causes an increase in pressure inside the brain that may result in damage to brain tissue.

Hydrocephaly must be considered as a cerebral vascular accident caused by the tension that a person feels.

See Brain stroke

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