Etiologies of hydrocephalus among children at the Yalgado Ouedraogo University hospital (YO-CHU) of Burkina Faso

Abstract

Introduction:
Hydrocephalus is an active distension of the brain ventricular system related to hyperpressure of cerebrospinal fluid. Etiologies can be infectious, malformative, vascular or neoplastic. Previous study at the Yalgado Ouedraogo university hospital in 2010 showed that infections were the major cause (43,4%) of hydrocephalus among children from 0 to 15 years. After a decade, we propose to study again the etiologies of hydrocephalus among children.
Methods:
It was a descriptive and transversal study performed from two years among children from 0 to 15 years at the neurosurgery department of YO-CHU. Each hospitalized child during the study period was included. Children who had not receive surgical treatment were excluded.
Results:
Ninety-seven children were included in the study. The mean age of hydrocephalus discovery was 33.6 months (range: 1 month-15 years). The sex ratio was 0.7. The mean consultation time was 4.76 months. Radiological assessment showing obstructive hydrocephalus in 57.7% of cases and communicating hydrocephalus in 42.3%. Malformative etiology was the most frequent (61.9%). Neoplastics injuries were implicated in 15.5% of hydrocephalus and infectious causes were found in 3.1%. Among malformatives causes, myelomeningocele and congenital aqueduct stenosis each represented 31.7% of cases. Dandywalker complex represented 28.4% of malformatives causes. Among tumors, the posterior cranial fossa was
the most frequent location (53.3%).
Conclusion:
The etiological approach of hydrocephalus in children showed a predominance of malformatives causes compared to infectious etiologies that were predominant previously in our context.