Back to TopCauses. Hydrocephalus is due to a problem with the flow of the fluid that surrounds the brain. This fluid is called the cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF. It surrounds the brain and spinal cord, and helps cushion the brain. CSF normally moves through the brain and the spinal cord, and is soaked into the bloodstream.
http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/hydrocephalus/overview.html
Hydrocephalus can be classified according to its cause: 1  Obstructive (non-communicating) hydrocephalus is caused by a blockage in the system of cavities (ventricles) in the brain. 2  Non-obstructive (communicating) hydrocephalus results from problems with cerebrospinal fluid being produced or absorbed.
https://www.drugs.com/health-guide/hydrocephalus.html
Hydrocephalus may be congenital or acquired. Congenital hydrocephalus is present at birth and may be caused by either events or influences that occur during fetal development, or genetic abnormalities. Acquired hydrocephalus develops at the time of birth or at some point afterward.
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Hydrocephalus-Fact-Sheet
The causes of hydrocephalus are still not well understood. Hydrocephalus may result from inherited genetic abnormalities (such as the genetic defect that causes aqueductal stenosis) or developmental disorders (such as those associated with neural tube defects including spina bifida and encephalocele).
https://www.ninds.nih.gov/Disorders/Patient-Caregiver-Education/Fact-Sheets/Hydrocephalus-Fact-Sheet
What is hydrocephalus? When there’s too much fluid inside or around the brain, your baby will be diagnosed with hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus is one of the most common congenital anomalies affecting the nervous system, occurring with an incidence of 0.3 to 2.5 per 1,000 live births.
http://fetaltonewborn.org/hydrocephalus/
What Is It? Hydrocephalus, also known as water on the brain, is a condition in which there is extra cerebrospinal fluid around the brain and spinal cord. Cerebrospinal fluid acts as a cushion for the brain and spinal cord, supplies nutrients, and takes away waste products.
https://www.drugs.com/health-guide/hydrocephalus.html
What is hydrocephalus? During prenatal development, the brain starts out as a tubular structure. As it grows, the inner tube remains and becomes a series of interconnected cavities known as ventricles. Within the ventricles, the choroids plexus produces cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) starting at the sixth week of gestation.
http://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/hydrocephalus
When there’s too much fluid, the skull becomes larger. When the baby’s skull increases, there’s extra pressure that’s put on the brain. All this extra pressure affects how your baby’s brain develops. Hydrocephalus is often present in cases of myelomeningocele (spina bifida), but can develop without myelomeningocele.
http://fetaltonewborn.org/hydrocephalus/
True fetal hydrocephalus has a variety of causes. The most common form of isolated, obstructive hydrocephalus is so-called “aqueductal stenosis,” which is the blockage of CSF passage through the aqueduct of Sylvius. It accounts for up to 20 percent of cases of fetal hydrocephalus.
http://www.chop.edu/conditions-diseases/hydrocephalus
Water on the brain. Hydrocephalus is due to a problem with the flow of the fluid that surrounds the brain. This fluid is called the cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF. It surrounds the brain and spinal cord, and helps cushion the brain. CSF normally moves through the brain and the spinal cord, and is soaked into the bloodstream.
http://www.nytimes.com/health/guides/disease/hydrocephalus/overview.html
what causes hydrocephalus in a fetus
In a fetus, hydrocephalus can caused by events or influences that occur during fetal development, or genetic abnormalities. Events or influences that occur during fetal development, or genetic abnormalities cause hydrocephalus in a fetus.