Classification of hydrocephalus
All forms of hydrocephalus, including congenital hydrocephalus, can be classified according to how the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flows through brain ventricles.
- Communicating, or non-obstructive, hydrocephalus occurs when the CFS flows out of the ventricles and into the spinal canal, but it is not reabsorbed normally by the tissue surrounding the brain and spinal cord. Occasionally communicating hydrocephalus corrects itself. In very rare cases, the brain tissue overproduces CSF and the body cannot adequately absorb or distribute the high volume.
- Non-communicating, or obstructive, hydrocephalus occurs when the CSF does not flow properly between or out of the ventricles due to an obstruction, such as from a malformation or narrowing.
| Author: | Douglas Dana Amy Fackler, MA | Last Updated: June 26, 2006 |
| Medical Review: | Adam Husney, MD - Family Medicine Michael J. Sexton, MD - Pediatrics Thomas Emmett Francoeur, MDCM, CSPQ, FRCPC - Pediatrics Mark G. Luciano, MD - Neurological Surgery | |
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