Clinical and Neurological Features of Hydrocephalus in Children: a Comparative Study
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51699/cajmns.v7i3.3312Keywords:
Hydrocephalus, Children, Pediatric Neurology, Neurological Disorders, Developmental Delay, Cognitive Impairment, Cerebrospinal Fluid, NeuroimagingAbstract
Hydrocephalus is among the most common neurological disorders affecting children and remains a significant cause of developmental and functional impairment despite considerable advances in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. The present study was conducted to evaluate the clinical and neurological characteristics of hydrocephalus in childhood through a comparative assessment involving 40 children diagnosed with hydrocephalus and 40 healthy controls. Comprehensive clinical examinations, neurological assessments, and analysis of neuroimaging findings were performed to identify the most frequent manifestations associated with the disease. The results demonstrated that developmental delay, speech impairment, cognitive dysfunction, muscle tone abnormalities, gait disturbances, visual disorders, and seizure episodes occurred significantly more often among children with hydrocephalus than among healthy participants. Furthermore, the severity of neurological deficits tended to increase in parallel with the degree of ventricular enlargement, highlighting the impact of prolonged cerebrospinal fluid circulation disturbances on the developing brain. The findings emphasize the importance of early diagnosis, continuous neurological monitoring, and multidisciplinary management aimed at preventing long-term complications and improving functional outcomes. Timely intervention and individualized rehabilitation strategies may contribute substantially to better neurological development and quality of life in affected children.
References
A. M. Isaacs, J. Riva-Cambrin, D. Yavin, A. Hockley, T. Pringsheim, N. Jette, et al., “Age-specific global epidemiology of hydrocephalus: Systematic review, meta-analysis and global birth surveillance,” PLoS One, vol. 13, no. 10, p. e0204926, 2018.
K. T. Kahle, A. V. Kulkarni, D. D. Limbrick Jr., and B. C. Warf, “Hydrocephalus in children,” Lancet, vol. 387, no. 10020, pp. 788–799, 2016.
H. L. Rekate, “A contemporary definition and classification of hydrocephalus,” Seminars in Pediatric Neurology, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 9–15, 2009.
D. D. Limbrick Jr. and J. R. Leonard, “Cerebrospinal fluid disorders in children,” Pediatric Clinics of North America, vol. 68, no. 5, pp. 1059–1075, 2021.
M. C. Dewan, J. Lim, C. N. Shannon, J. C. Wellons III, and C. M. Bonfield, “Epidemiology of pediatric hydrocephalus,” Neurosurgery Clinics of North America, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 143–152, 2017.
S. C. Jernigan, J. G. Berry, D. A. Graham, and L. C. Goumnerova, “Risk factors for pediatric hydrocephalus outcomes,” Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, vol. 21, no. 5, pp. 456–464, 2018.
B. C. Warf and J. Mugamba, “Management of pediatric hydrocephalus in developing countries,” Neurosurgical Focus, vol. 48, no. 4, p. E14, 2020.
A. V. Kulkarni, J. Riva-Cambrin, and S. R. Browd, “Use of clinical and radiological parameters in hydrocephalus assessment,” Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, vol. 24, no. 1, pp. 1–9, 2019.
M. Vinchon, I. Delestret, M. Baroncini, and P. Dhellemmes, “Long-term outcome in pediatric hydrocephalus,” Child's Nervous System, vol. 28, no. 6, pp. 847–854, 2012.
M. Mataró, C. Junqué, M. A. Poca, and J. Sahuquillo, “Neuropsychological findings in pediatric hydrocephalus,” Neuropsychology Review, vol. 28, no. 2, pp. 143–157, 2018.
H. M. Tully and W. B. Dobyns, “Infantile hydrocephalus: A review of epidemiology, classification and causes,” European Journal of Medical Genetics, vol. 57, no. 8, pp. 359–368, 2014.
T. D. Simon, M. Hall, J. Riva-Cambrin, J. E. Albert, H. E. Jeffries, B. Lafleur, et al., “Infection rates following initial cerebrospinal fluid shunt placement,” Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, vol. 4, no. 2, pp. 156–165, 2009.
J. Riva-Cambrin, J. R. W. Kestle, R. Holubkov, J. Butler, A. V. Kulkarni, J. Drake, et al., “Risk factors for shunt failure in pediatric hydrocephalus,” Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, vol. 17, no. 4, pp. 382–390, 2016.
J. M. Fletcher, S. R. McCauley, M. E. Brandt, T. P. Bohan, L. A. Kramer, D. J. Francis, et al., “Regional brain tissue composition in children with hydrocephalus,” Neurosurgery, vol. 85, no. 4, pp. E706–E714, 2019.
J. Strahle, H. J. L. Garton, C. O. Maher, K. M. Muraszko, R. F. Keep, and G. Xi, “Mechanisms of neurological impairment in hydrocephalus,” Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, vol. 25, no. 1, pp. 1–9, 2020.
M. A. Williams, S. J. Nagel, and M. G. Luciano, “Pediatric hydrocephalus and long-term neurological outcomes,” Neurologic Clinics, vol. 39, no. 1, pp. 211–226, 2021.
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2026 Abdullaev Botir Erkinovich, Kariev Gayrat Maratovich, Isoboev Bakhtiyorjon Anvarjonovich

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.