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Hydrocephalus — Basic Concepts and General Pathology

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Developmental Neuropathology

Abstract

The term hydrocephalus, in its broadest sense, means an increased amount of fluid in the CSF spaces, particularly in the cerebral ventricles, as opposed to local accumulations of fluid in subdural hygromas, arachnoid cysts, or within tissue defects. Enlarged cerebral ventricles may result from their distension by increased pressure, or from atrophy caused by the loss of cells. It is customary to distinguish “increased pressure hydrocephalus” from “hydrocephalus e vacuo”. It needs to be emphasized from the start that these two mechanisms of ventricular dilation are not mutually exclusive and that they may combine and interact. For example, long-standing distension of the cerebral ventricles because of increased pressure eventually causes tissue damage and hemispheric atrophy. Conversely, massive destruction of the hemispheres, such as in hydranencephaly (cf. Chap. 3), may become superimposed with secondary impairment of CSF circulation, causing pressure hydrocephalus.

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  1. Zentrum Neurologische Medizin, Abteilung Neuropathologie, Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Robert-Koch-Straße 40, 3400, Göttingen, Germany

    Reinhard L. Friede

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© 1989 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Friede, R.L. (1989). Hydrocephalus — Basic Concepts and General Pathology. In: Developmental Neuropathology. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73697-1_19

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-73697-1_19

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-73699-5

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