Hydrocephalus Diagnosis

Hydrocephalus Diagnosis

The specific diagnostic techniques that the doctor will use depend on the person’s age and recent medical history. The doctor will note the specific symptoms and when they first appeared. If the patient is an infant, his or her head will be measured and compared to the normal range for babies of the same sex and age. A head larger than 97 percent of the heads of normal children usually indicates hydrocephalus.

Older children and adult patients will usually be referred to a neurologist (a doctor who specializes in treating disorders of the central nervous system) for a complete evaluation of his or her vision, memory, coordina- tion, and other functions that may be affected by hydrocephalus.

The neurologist will order one or more imaging studies of the brain in order to determine whether the hydrocephalus is communicating or noncommunicating and whether other abnormalities of the brain are present. Ultrasound is often used to evaluate hydrocephalus in infants, and computed tomography (CT) scans or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is used for older children and adults.

Normal-pressure hydrocephalus is diagnosed by lumbar puncture (spinal tap) followed by withdrawal of some of the cerebrospinal fluid. If the patient has NPH, their symptoms will usually improve after the fluid is removed. This test is known as the Fisher test.