Specific Types & Syndromes
Post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus
Post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus is hydrocephalus that develops after bleeding into or around the brain, a common cause in premature infants and after brain bleeds.
In short: Post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus
- It develops after bleeding into or around the brain.
- It is common after intraventricular hemorrhage in premature infants.
- Blood impairs CSF flow and absorption.
- It is managed with temporizing measures and often a shunt or ETV.
What it is
Post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus is hydrocephalus that develops as a consequence of bleeding into or around the brain — most commonly intraventricular hemorrhage in premature infants, but also after subarachnoid hemorrhage or other bleeds. The blood disrupts CSF flow and absorption.
Understanding Post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus
After bleeding, blood and its breakdown products can clog the CSF pathways and the absorption sites, and cause scarring, impairing CSF circulation and absorption. In premature infants, this is a leading cause of hydrocephalus. The course varies: ventricular enlargement may stabilize or progress. When it progresses, temporizing measures (such as a reservoir or temporary shunt) may be used in small infants, often followed by a permanent shunt or, in selected cases, an endoscopic procedure once the baby is larger. The approach is individualized to the baby's size and situation.
Why it matters
Understanding post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus helps families see why bleeding into the brain — especially in premature infants — is a major cause of hydrocephalus, and why treatment is staged based on the baby's size and how the condition evolves.
Common questions
What causes post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus?
Bleeding into or around the brain, often in premature infants.
How does blood cause it?
By impairing CSF flow and absorption.
How is it treated?
With temporizing measures and often a shunt or ETV.
Bottom line
Post-hemorrhagic hydrocephalus develops after brain bleeding, a common cause in premature infants, managed with staged treatment.
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