Pediatric Hydrocephalus Foundation, Inc. TEEN Group

09/30/2026

Hydrocephalus Fact: Hydrocephalus affects an estimated 25 million people worldwide, with nearly 400,000 new pediatric cases diagnosed each year.

- Mads

09/29/2026

Hydrocephalus fact: Knowing the signs of a shunt malfunction is CRUCIAL in saving one's life.When a shunt malfunction is suspected , surgery is needed ASAP. Symptoms include :
-Vomiting
-Lethargy (sleepiness)
-Irritability
-Swelling or redness along the shunt tract
-Decreased school performance
-Periods of confusion
-Seizures
http://www.cincinnatichildrens.org/health/s/shunt-malfunction/

09/29/2026

09/28/2026

Hydrocephalus Fact: A lumbar peritoneal (LP) shunt is a technique of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) diversion from the lumbar thecal sac to the peritoneal cavity. It is indicated under a large number of conditions such as communicating hydrocephalus, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, normal pressure hydrocephalus, spinal and cranial CSF leaks, pseudomeningoceles, slit ventricle syndrome, growing skull fractures which are difficult to treat by conventional methods (when dural defect extends deep in the cranial base or across venous sinuses and in recurrent cases after conventional surgery), raised intracranial pressure following chronic meningitis, persistent bulging of craniotomy site after operations for intracranial tumors or head trauma, syringomyelia and failed endoscopic third ventriculostomy with a patent stoma.

Source : https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20508332/

- Mads

09/27/2026

Hydrocephalus fact :

There are two types of shunt valves :

1. Fixed pressure valves – These regulate the flow rate of cerebrospinal fluid based on a predetermined pressure setting.
2. Adjustable pressure valves – These valves regulate the flow of cerebrospinal fluid based on a pressure setting that can be adjusted. Using specially designed magnetic tools, your clinician can non-invasively change the pressure setting of the implanted adjustable valve during an office visit, without the need for another surgical procedure. (Typically these are programmable shunts )

http://www.medtronic.com/us-en/patients/treatments-therapies/hydrocephalus-shunt/what-is-it.html

09/26/2026

Hydrocephalus fact:

An estimated 50% of shunts fail within two years and 20-50% of ETVs close up within five years. Either treatment can fail at any time

The left picture is Hydrocephalus( and also what the ventricles can look like when a shunt malfunction / WTV failure is occurring)and the right picture is someone without Hydrocephalus. I do not like using the term “ normal” because that term is different for everyone.