Relative Frequency of Hydrocephalus in Rasht Pediatric Patients

Objective There are few studies evaluating the relative frequency of different etiologies of hydrocephalus in pediatric population, in Iran; therefore, this topic was considered in the present study. Material & Methods In a prospective study, the study group consisted of all children fulfilling the imaging criteria for having hydrocephalus, aged below 12 years, admitted at Rasht 17th Shahrivar and Poursina Hospitals, between March 2006 and September 2008. Demographic data and information on the etiology and type of hydrocephalus, and surgical and pathological diagnosis were recorded for all cases. All data were analyzed with SPSS version 13 software. Results There were a total of 67 patients, with a mean age of 33.25 ± 43.40 months. Hydrocephalus was seen most frequently in the first 2 years of life. Thirty three patients (49.3%) were female and 34 (50.7%) were male. Mean age of the girls and boys was 30.78 ± 46.46 and 35.64 ± 40.77 months, respectively (p=0.650). Communicating and obstructive hydrocephalus was seen in 30 (44.8%) and 37 cases (55.2%), respectively. There was no statistically significant difference in the types of ydrocephalus between the two sex groups. Mean age in obstructive and communicating groups was 3.76 ± 46.17 and 35.09 ± 40.42 months, respectively (p=0.0006). The most common causes of hydrocephalus were myelomeningocele for obstructive (19.4% of total cases), and TORCH and meningitis for communicating (8.9% of total cases for each). Conclusion In our study, there was a mild preponderance for male sex and obstructive type. Mean age of the patients with obstructive hydrocephalus was significantly lower than those with communicating type. Overall, the most common cause of hydrocephalus was myelomeningocele.