see Hydrocephalus Outcome Questionnaire
If left untreated, most cases are lethal 1).
With present-day standard of care, most patients with HC will survive; however, death from hydrocephalus still exists.
Some of these causes may be avoidable through early detection of symptoms. Guidelines to patients, families, and primary caregivers should be emphasized 2).
The rate of shunt malfunction death has decreased over time. It is reasonable to attribute part of this decline to continued improvements in diagnostic and therapeutic techniques and to the use of surveillance scans to identify asymptomatic patients with shunt failure. However, the majority of this decline is due to two additional factors: (1) increased nursing staff and (2) effective patient/family education 3).
Adults treated for hydrocephalus in childhood require a life-long follow-up. Late mortality is low but not null, morbidity is high, and many patients require shunt surgery during adulthood. The transition from child to adult neurosurgery needs to be organized for these vulnerable patients 4).