Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: Definition & Imaging
Ari Blitz1

1Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Synopsis

During this presentation we will review the imaging features of adult hydrocephalus and the current limitations in our ability to provide diagnostic and prognostic information for this disease process.

Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus: Definition & Imaging

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is one of the few reversible causes of dementia and can be difficult to separate from ventricular dilatation due to other causes on the basis of imaging. In addition to challenges in diagnosis, identifying which patients will benefit from surgical intervention (CSF diversion most typically via ventriculoperitoneal shunt) remains difficult on the basis of imaging. In this presentation we will review the varied imaging features of hydrocephalus and discuss current and prior imaging approaches to diagnosis and prognosis.

Acknowledgements

A portion of this work was supported by R21 NS096497 (PI=Jerry Prince) and I wish to acknowledge the collaboration of Dr. Prince and colleagues. Additionally, I wish to acknowledge the ongoing clinical and research collaboration of my colleagues within the Johns Hopkins CSF Disorders Center.

References

Ahmed AK, Luciano M, Moghekar A, Shin J, Aygun N, Sair HI, Rigamonti D, Blitz AM. Does the Presence or Absence of DESH Predict Outcomes in Adult Hydrocephalus?. American Journal of Neuroradiology. 2018 Nov 1;39(11):2022-6.

Blitz AM, Shin J, Balédent O, Pagé G, Bonham LW, Herzka DA, Moghekar AR, Rigamonti D. Does Phase-Contrast Imaging through the Cerebral Aqueduct Predict the Outcome of Lumbar CSF Drainage or Shunt Surgery in Patients with Suspected Adult Hydrocephalus?. American Journal of Neuroradiology. 2018 Dec 1;39(12):2224-30.

Ellingsen LM, Roy S, Carass A, Blitz AM, Pham DL, Prince JL. Segmentation and labeling of the ventricular system in normal pressure hydrocephalus using patch-based tissue classification and multi-atlas labeling. InMedical Imaging 2016: Image Processing 2016 Mar 21 (Vol. 9784, p. 97840G). International Society for Optics and Photonics.

Rekate HL, Blitz AM. Hydrocephalus in children. In Handbook of clinical neurology 2016 Jan 1 (Vol. 136, pp. 1261-1273). Elsevier.

Proc. Intl. Soc. Mag. Reson. Med. 27 (2019)