Symptoms of intracranial hypertension in children

Under intracranial hypertension, it is customary to understand a condition in which excessive pressure is exerted in the skull of the cerebrospinal fluid produced by the vascular plexus located in the ventricles of the brain.

In the event that a person develops such a pathology as intracranial hypertension - the symptoms appear immediately. Moreover, they can be so clearly expressed that the patient's quality of life deteriorates sharply, which forces him to consult a doctor to get competent treatment. This situation develops because the skull cavity of any person whose age is over 1 year old is a closed space, therefore any pathological processes inside it may be accompanied by manifestations of this disease - there is no way for an emergency outflow of fluid.

Cerebrovascular fluid is simply necessary for normal brain function - it fills the ventricles of the brain and flushes the hemisphere, which helps to alleviate the tremors that fragile nervous tissue can undergo. Human life activity under normal conditions is supported by a fragile system consisting of the most cerebrospinal fluid, the brain and blood vessels. In the event that any of these elements starts to work incorrectly, it negatively affects all of them.

So, with the growth of the tumor in the brain, blood vessels and ways of normal outflow of fluid inevitably contract, which, in the end, leads to the appearance of signs of intracranial hypertension. This phenomenon is said, if the adult person intracranial pressure exceeds twenty millimeters of mercury. True, it can be measured only in hospital, and therefore doctors determine this state by the presence or absence of certain symptoms.

Causes of the disease

There are many reasons for the development of this pathology. The main ones are:

• congenital anomalies of the CNS( central nervous system) structure;
• poisoning;
• suffered a head injury;
• such formidable infectious diseases as meningitis, HIV, Lyme disease, syphilis, poliomyelitis, malaria, encephalitis and infectious mononucleosis;
• constant hypoxia( i.e., oxygen starvation of the brain);
• disturbed outflow of blood from veins located in the skull;
• stroke;
• side effects of certain drugs, such as nitrofurantoin, tetracycline, levonorgestrel and isotretinoin. May provoke the development of this pathology and hormone replacement therapy;
• some diseases, namely: Addison's disease, sarcoidosis, systemic lupus erythematosus and hypoparathyroidism.

Symptoms of intracranial hypertension in adults

Increased intracranial pressure causes disturbances in the central nervous system, which explains the appearance of characteristic symptoms:

• headache, which is growing closer to the morning;
• vegetative-vascular dystonia( high or low blood pressure, palpitations, sweating, pre-stupor states and so on);
• increased nervous excitability;
• fast fatigue;
• sensation of heaviness in the head;
• appearance of "bruises" under the eyes;
• decreased potency;
• visual impairment, photophobia;
• hiccups, nausea vomiting, which occurs at the height of the headache, and almost never brings relief to the patient.

Moderate intracranial hypertension may also be manifested by such symptoms as double vision, depression of consciousness, increased systolic pressure and bradycardia, that is, a pulse rate reduction of up to fifty beats per minute. Symptoms of moderate intracranial hypertension are manifested even more vividly, the lower the atmospheric pressure, which is why people who have this pathology most often note their own meteorological dependence.

Sometimes, only indirect signs of intracranial pathology are observed that allow a doctor to suspect the disease in humans.these include:

• sleep disorders;
• frequent bleeding from the nose;
• tremor( tremor) of the chin;
• changes in mental development, poor performance( when it comes to the child);
• bad habits, difficulty concentrating, hyperactivity;
• "marbling" of the skin;
• on the neurosonogram( ultrasound of the brain) or magnetic resonance thermogram is determined by the expansion of the ventricles;
• on the X-ray of the skull, so-called "finger impressions" are visible.

Any symptoms, including signs of mild intracranial hypertension, require diagnosis to clarify the diagnosis and prescribe the right treatment. The doctor may prescribe the following examinations:

1. computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging;
2. general, as well as biochemical and bacteriological blood tests;
3. a lumbar puncture, which allows you to measure the pressure of the CSF by a direct method( all the other methods are indirect, because to say that "I went to the appointment and the doctor measured my intracranial pressure" at the root incorrectly), and also its analysis for the protein content;
4. special examinations, the purpose of which is the exclusion of sarcoidosis, as well as some malignant neoplasms of the body;
5. radiograph of the skull.

Symptoms in children

In children with this pathology, the following symptoms usually occur:

• vomiting;
• increased anxiety or, on the contrary, drowsiness;
• swelling of eyeballs;
• head increase in volume;
• bulging or fontanel tension;
• is a symptom of the so-called "setting sun", which manifests itself in the form of a view paresis in the event that the child suddenly looks up;
• phenomenon of Cushing, observed with very high intracranial pressure. In this case, a patient who does not suffer from diseases of the cardiovascular system develops a bradycardia, combined with arterial hypertension.

Consequences of intracranial hypertension

This pathology requires compulsory treatment. If a patient of any age has intracranial hypertension - the symptoms of this pathological condition are very clear and can lead to severe consequences.

Long-term intracranial hypertension can cause cerebral ischemia( hypoxia of the cortex develops), its compression, and displacement( dislocation) of brain stem structures - this condition represents a real danger to the life of the patient due to disruption of vital centers located in the headbrain. Sometimes all this can lead to even a fatal outcome. Often this disease provokes complications such as blindness, paralysis, mental retardation and severe mental disorders.

The program of treatment of this condition directly depends on the degree of disruption of vital functions and the severity of symptoms - with the initial stages of intracranial hypertension, which are most often detected, it is sufficient to prescribe drug treatment directed at:

• decrease in cerebrospinal fluid production;
• prevention of metabolic disorders in the cells of various parts of the brain;
• restoration of normal vascular status.

In severe cases of lesion and the presence of neoplasm inside the cranial cavity( benign or malignant), a neurosurgical operation is required.