ADULT HYDROCEPHALUS

Adult hydrocephalus is an insidious yet treatable condition that develops slowly, with usual onset around 60 years of age. It is poorly recognized and many cases are not diagnosed until late in the course of disease, leading to poorer patient outcomes and a high financial cost to healthcare providers. The resulting neurological symptoms include gait/balance problems, loss of bladder control, and a cognitive decline leading to dementia, which is often mistaken for Alzheimer's disease. This book - the first published on this topic since 1993 - provides comprehensive guidelines to improve the speed and accuracy of diagnosis, and covers various neurosurgical techniques used to treat the disease, including the insertion of different types of shunts and endoscopic third ventriculostomy. This is essential reading for neurologists, neurosurgeons, family physicians, and radiologists who may well encounter adult patients with hydrocephalus more often than they realize.