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In the last ten years the pediatric neurosurgeon has witnessed a real revolution in the diagnosis and treatment of pediatric hydrocephalus, the most frequently encountered condition in everyday clinical practice. The evolution of MRI and the advent of neuroendoscopic surgery have resuscitated the interest in the classification, etiology and pathophysiology of hydrocephalus. The book offers an updated overview on the recent progress in this field, and a new approach to hydrocephalus: the reader will find in it a modern and new presentation of an old disease, where genetics, endoscopy, cost-effectiveness analyses and many other aspects of the various therapies are extensively discussed. The volume will be useful not only for neurosurgeons, but for all specialists interested in the various aspects of hydrocephalus: pediatricians, radiologists, endocrinologists, pathologists and geneticists.

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General Principles: Genetics of hydrocephalus. Development of the cerebrospinal fluid pathways during embryonic and fetal life in humans. CSF hydrodynamics. Pathophysiology of hydrocephalus. Modern imaging of pediatric hydrocephalus. Classification of hydrocephalus and prenatal hydrocephalus.- Neonatal Hydrocephalus: Hydrocephalus: intracranial pressure, myelination and neurodevelopment. Post-haemorrhagic hydrocephalus in prematures. Benign pericerebral collections in infants.- Tumoral Hydrocephalus: Hydrocephalus in posterior fossa tumors. Hydrocephalus and suprasellar tumors. Hydrocephalus and colloid cysts. Hydrocephalus and spinal tumors.- Complex Hydrocephalus: Post-infectious hydrocephalus. Multiloculated hydrocephalus. Hydrocephalus in neurocysticercosis and other parasitic and infectious diseases.- Hydrocephalus and Venous Abnormalities: Hydrocephalus in Dandy-Walker Malformation. Hydrocephalus and aqueductal stenosis.- Treatment: Shunts: Shunt hardware and surgical technique. Abdominal complications of peritoneal shunts. Patterns of shunt failure according to the hydrodynamics characteristics of the valve: lessons from the shunt design trial. Slit ventricle syndrome: Diagnosis and management.- Treatment: Endoscopy: Endoscopic anatomy of the ventricles. Endoscopic third ventriculostomy. Third ventriculostomy in shunt malfunction. Dynamic MRI of CSF in children. The ´CISS´ sequences in the pre-operative MRI assessment of neuroendoscopic third ventriculostomy. Complications of endoscopic third ventriculostomy and ventricular shunts. Re-obstruction of third ventriculostomy. Economic analysis of endoscopic third ventriculostomy. Growth and puberty in hydrocephalus. Epilepsy in childhood shunted hydrocephalus.

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From the reviews:

"This excellent multi-authored textbook ... has great advantages to focus on the practical treatment of the hydrocephalus ... . the target audience is mainly the practicing neurosurgeon ... although medical and gradual students and other pediatric specialists might consider the book an extremely useful source of information. ... The editors should be congratulated for having gathered such an excellent group of contributors. They also should be congratulated for having provided a quite useful addition to the rich literature concerning hydrocephalus ... ." (Conezio Di Rocco, Child´s Nervous Systems, Vol. 22 (2), 2006)

"´Pediatric Hydrocephalus´ is a specialist book written by clinicians for clinicians. It is directed at neurosurgeons, pediatric neurologists and pediatricians and will also be interest to radiologists, pathologists and clinical geneticists. It draws upon the clinical experience of fifty-eight experts. ... Throughout the book, the text is clearly presented with subheadings and high-quality illustrations. In summary, this book will be of great benefit to both aspiring and practicing neurosurgeons worldwide." (Hazel C. Jones, Cerebrospinal Fluid Research, Vol. 3 (3), 2006)

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