This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Epidemiology of hydrocephalus

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

The exact epidemiology of hydrocephalus in children and adults is unknown.

  • it is thought to affect 0.9 to 1.5 per 1000 births which increases to 1.3 to 2.9 per 1000 birth when congenital abnormalities are considered (e.g. spina bifida, myemeninocele)

There are conflicting reports on the icidence of paediatric hydrocepahuls with some suggesting a decline in the incidence in the developed countries while others indicate increased rates because of improved survival of premature infants

  • higher rates of hydrocephalus is seen in developing countries than in developed countries (due to high rates of neonatal infection and neural tube defects)
    • a prospective observational study of hydrocephalus in east Africa estimated more than 6000 new cases a year (1,2)

Smilarly the incidence of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) remains uncertain due to differences in diagnostic criteria between different centres

  • a recent study surveying 49 centers in Germany known to care for NPH patients estimated 1.8 cases per 100 000 people. (2)

Reference:

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.