Hi, I was just wondering what the main symptoms of hydrocephalus were for someone who might be developing it later in life? It's a bit confusing trying to find information, when most people developed hydro from birth, or at a young age. I know that many of you here have lived with it all your life, and I'm sure that must be difficult.
Anyway...I had surgery for an Arachnoid Cyst over 10 years ago, (age 30) I had cyst fenestration and not a shunt. I was told the the CSF flow was blocked by the cyst, but when it was removed, they said it was normal again. I had an MRI 2 years ago, and they say the CSF flow was normal then, and the cyst hadn't regrown. But over the last few months, I've felt increased pressure in the back of my head (where the cyst had been), and increased dizziness and some pain. I was diagnosed with Occipital Neuralgia in late '06, and now the pain is mostly controlled by nerve blocks, but the pressure feeling and the constant dizziness has got worse recently. My Neurologist doesn't think it's in the head this time, so he's sending me for balance tests, because he thinks it is inner ear problems now. I asked for an MRI, but he wasn't going to do one until after I've had these balance tests.
So, can CSF flows/build-up show on an MRI? Or are there other tests for that? I hope it's something simple like inner-ear problems, but I don't have all the symptoms for that, just the pressure and dizziness...

~Jaime~

Hi:

The increase in pressure from csf build up can be seen with an mri catscan, spinal tap ad if you had a shunt they could see it in a shunt tap.

Never had a shunt...maybe I might need one this time...hope not!
Have just had balance tests, to see if it's anything else, but still waiting on results. Will see my Neuro next week. The next thing will probably be another MRI...

Went to see my Neurologist yesterday, and got the results of the balance tests, and they were what I thought they might be. There is no middle ear/vestibular problems, no infection or anything like that and my hearing is normal, and the report did say that the vertigo/balance problems are probably in the brain and not the inner ear! (I could have told them that! lol) My neurologist said it could be very mild hydrocephalus! But because I don't have all the symptoms, and they are not severe, (I just have the dizziness, nausea, some head pressure and some pain), he has decided to leave things alone for now, and hopes the cooler weather might help things. But he said if the symptoms get worse, then come back and he'll send me for an MRI. He didn't think I needed an MRI yet, although my last MRI was 15 months ago now. The symptoms aren't as bad as they were a month or 2 ago, but then we have had a very hot summer here in Australia, and the pressure seemed to be worse on a very hot day. Is it possible to have pressure changes that go with changes in the weather?

~Jaime~

Hey, Jaime.

You need to see a neuroSURGEON about this. A neurologist can't treat you for hydro, bottom line. He isn't trained to. That's the nsg's job.

It also sounds like your hydro is more than "mild" if you're having these symptoms, and if they're worsening, I think any reputable nsg would tell you surgery will be necessary sooner rather than later. Please get to a nsg right away.


Good luck!

LIZARD

My Neurologist is in contact with my original Neurosurgeon (both are at the same hospital), and will consult with him. But for now, they don't seem worried about it, considering I've never had any hydro symptoms for over 10 years after my cyst surgery, and these symptoms I have now are just recent. I can go back anytime if the symptoms worsen, and get an MRI fairly quickly. But for now, they have lessened a bit. Mild symptoms can be treated without surgery, so I'm told, unless they get worse. So, they won't do any surgery unless it's really necessary...and I hope it never comes to that, once is enough!
~Jaime~

I was not diagnosed with hydrocephalus until age 41. I found out when I was driving a company car down a secondary highway and the road started to spin. I was covering a school board meeting out of town as a reporter. I nursed the car to the side of the road and waited. A few minutes later, a trustee from the same meeting came and took me to hospital. I was flown out by air ambulance to Toronto where hydrocephalus was discovered. The symptoms at the time, aside from the vertigo and dizziness, were headaches, balance problems and a general feeling of mailaise. I balked at having a shunt put in the first time, but when I returned from Toronto, I only had to go back a month later. At that time, the situation was so bad, that I passed out at the Lockwood Clinic. I was rushed to Toronto St. Michael's for emergency surgery and I'm still alive to tell about it some 11 years later. The dizziness and vertigo were the first symptoms for me, followed by extreme headaches and mild bladder problems. Hope this helps. Jeff, Kirkland Lake, Ont. Canada