Hydrocephalus Following Early Operation on Ruptured Cerebral Aneurysms: Significance of Long-Term Monitoring of Intracranial Pressure

Early posthaemorrhagic hydrocephalus.

“…Such aggressive evacuation of the basal cisterns may predispose to greater damage,26 and increase the risk of late hydrocephalus. 27 Delayed presentations of hydrocephalus include a spectrum of signs and symptoms ranging through continuing headache, restlessness with neck stiffness, impaired conscious level, disorientation, dementia, incontinence, with apraxia of gait, which result in the patient becoming bedbound, akinetic, and mute. '3 When the aetiology of the triad of disturbance of gait, incontinence, and dementia-Hakim's normal or intermittently raised pressure hydrocephalus'4-is known (as it is after subarachnoid haemorrhage) insertion of a ventricular shunt gives good results in about 65% of patients and complete recovery in at least 30%."…”