I'm looking for information/advise on hydrocephalus. My mother was
diagnosed with the condition about a week ago and the doctors seem to
think she should undergo surgery to relieve the resulting pressure. She
was involved in a very nasty accident about three weeks ago and as a
result of the CT scans performed subsequently the condition was
identified. She later had some MRI scans done which confirmed the
condition. The doctors think that it is unlikely that the condition is
a result of the accident because, according to them, the condition
generally takes awhile to develope. They want her to have an additional
test performed (cisterography) in order to verify that the condition is
due to a lack of reabsorption. At that point I think they will
recommend that she should have a shunt surgically implanted. From what
I've read of the procedure it sounds somewhat dangerous and susceptable
to future complications. I'm wondering specifically whether there are
other treatments available or on the horizon which would be less
invasive and whether this condition requires immediate treatment or
whether they might hold off to establish whether the hydrocephalus is
having a detrimental effect on her and also to see whether other
treatment options become available. Any help would be greatly
appreciated.
JDKronicz at paonline.com
