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Medical Treatment of Hydrocephalus

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Textbook of Pediatric Neurosurgery

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Abstract

Medical treatment of cerebrospinal fluid disorders has been for a long time applied with the original aim to treat hydrocephalus without surgery, but with the realistic still considered objectives of gaining time until surgery, accompany surgical treatment, and/or increase its effectiveness. The main physiopathogenetic mechanisms that have been investigated are those involved in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) production, brain water content, and inflammation and those leading to arachnoid fibrosis. Carbonic anhydrase inhibitors (acetazolamide) and loop diuretics (furosemide) have been the main substances that have been used. In addition, osmotic agents, intraventricular fibrinolytic agents (streptokinase, urokinase, recombinant tissue plasminogen activator), and steroids have been investigated; these last particularly in premature infants with hydrocephalus due to intraventricular hemorrhage.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Istinye University, Istanbul, Turkey

    B. Goker

  2. Pediatric Neurosurgery, Institute of Neurosurgery, Catholic University Medical School, Largo “A. Gemelliâ€,8, 00168, Rome, Italy

    G. Tamburrini

Authors
  1. B. Goker
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  2. G. Tamburrini
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to G. Tamburrini .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. International Neuroscience Institute, Hannover, Germany

    Concezio Di Rocco

  2. Oakland Medical Center, Oakland, California, USA

    Dachling Pang

  3. University of Toronto Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

    James T. Rutka

Section Editor information

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, International Neuroscience Institute, Hannover, Germany

    Concezio Di Rocco

  2. Pediatric Neurosurgery, Institute of Neurosurgery, Catholic University Medical School, Largo “A. Gemelli”,8, 00168, Rome, Italy

    Gianpiero Tamburrini

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Goker, B., Tamburrini, G. (2018). Medical Treatment of Hydrocephalus. In: Di Rocco, C., Pang, D., Rutka, J. (eds) Textbook of Pediatric Neurosurgery. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31512-6_24-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-31512-6_24-1

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-31512-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-31512-6

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