Disorder - Hydrocephalus

Organ Systems Involved
Nervous/sensory

Alternative disorders described within LIDA

Cerebellar hypoplasia; Syringomyelia

Presenting Signs

Hydrocephalus is a disease where there is too much fluid in the brain. Cats with hydrocephalus can be presented with signs of brain damage such as a wobbly way of walking, blindness, rapid eye movements, abnormal muscle reflexes, depression and/or seizures. These animals will also often have a dome shaped head. Symptoms are often apparent at birth, but there are also cases where a cat may have hydrocephalus but show very mild or no clinical signs at all.

Treatment

Surgical and medical: medical treatment with corticosteroids may help alleviate clinical signs in mildly affected animals. However, the only permanent treatment is surgical therapy where a drain is placed to divert extra fluid away from the brain. The best treatment is a combination of both medical and surgical therapy.

PubMed References
Hydrocephalus

Contributor
Satoshi Yoneyama