CLINICO-EPIDEMIOLOGIC FEATURES OF INFANTILE HYDROCEPHALUS IN JAPAN

In 1988, a nationwide survey was conducted in Japan, in order to exami ne the prevalence and clinicoepidemiological features of hydrocephalus that developed before 1 year of age. The study was based on questionn aires that were sent to all hospitals in Japan with more than 200 beds . There were 1435 patients who were eligible for the analysis. They we re born before 1987 and diagnosed as having infantile hydrocephalus. A pproximately two-thirds of the patients had primary hydrocephalus. Neu ral tube defects were the most frequent cause of the primary hydroceph alus and common among full-term infants. On the other hand, secondary hydrocephalus occurred more often in preterm infants, mainly following intracranial hemorrhage. Intracranial hemorrhage as a cause of hydroc ephalus increased over the year, while the incidence of hydrocephalus secondary to intracranial infection decreased during the same period.