Hydrocephalus and CSF Disorders

Excerpt

Structural and functional neuroimaging techniques play an essential role for understanding the hydrodynamics of cerebrospinal (CSF) flow and on the comprehension of pathological processes affecting the ventricles and CSF spaces, including the different types of hydrocephalus and disorders associated with abnormal intracranial pressure. Hydrocephalus can be classified as either “obstructive and non-obstructive” or “non-communicating and communicating” based on the presence of a flow circulation abnormality inside or outside the ventricular system. Combination of different MRI sequences that provide high-resolution anatomical information and information on CSF flow provides in most cases an accurate diagnosis of the type of hydrocephalus and its causative mechanism, essential information for selecting the most adequate treatment. Different neuroimaging techniques play also an essential role in the diagnosis of other types of CSF disorders such as idiopathic intracranial hypertension and spontaneous intracranial hypotension, and in the latter condition for detecting the presence and location of CSF leaks. In this chapter, the radiological work-up and imaging features required for an accurate diagnosis of the different types of hydrocephalus and other CSF disorders will be reviewed, with the main purpose of improving our clinical practice.