HYDROCEPHALUS IN PEDIATRIC-PATIENTS IN YA OUNDE, CAMEROON - A REVIEW OF 69 CASES

Patients under the age of 15 years who were hospitalized for hydroceph alus in Yaounde were studied. Among the 8.843 pediatric admissions bet ween January 1, 1982 and May 31, 1991, 130 (1.5 %) were for hydrocepha lus. Among patients aged 0 to 24 months, 69 met predefined eligibility criteria. Most patients (69.6 %) were under six months of age. Female -to-male ratio was 1.3. Hydrocephalus was acquired in 56.5 % of cases, idiopathic in 26.1 %, and accompanied with spina bifida in 17.4 %. Fo rty-two patients underwent neurological imaging including transfontane llar ultrasonography in 30 cases and computed tomography in 12. These investigations identified a cause in 18 patients, of whom ten had Arno ld-Chiari malformation. Thirty patients had insertion of a ventriculop eritoneal shunt. Postoperative complications included valve infection in ten cases, catheter obstruction in 6, and catheter migration in the anus in one.