| Aqueductal stenosis | |
|---|---|
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| Drawing of the ventricular system from Gray's Anatomy, with third and fourth ventricles and the aqueduct of Sylvius (cerebral aqueduct) labeled | |
| Specialty | Neurosurgery |
Aqueductal stenosis is a narrowing of the aqueduct of Sylvius which blocks the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the ventricular system. Blockage of the aqueduct can lead to hydrocephalus, specifically as a common cause of congenital and/or obstructive hydrocephalus.[1][2]
The aqueduct of Sylvius is the channel which connects the third ventricle to the fourth ventricle and is the narrowest part of the CSF pathway with a mean cross-sectional area of 0.5 mm2 in children and 0.8 mm2 in adults.[3] Because of its small size, the aqueduct is the most likely place for a blockage of CSF in the ventricular system. This blockage causes ventricle volume to increase because the CSF cannot flow out of the ventricles and cannot be effectively absorbed by the surrounding tissue of the ventricles. Increased volume of the ventricles will result in higher pressure within the ventricles, and cause higher pressure in the cortex from it being pushed into the skull. A person may have aqueductal stenosis for years without any symptoms, and a head trauma, hemorrhage, or infection could suddenly invoke those symptoms and worsen the blockage.[4]
- ^ "Aqueductal Stenosis". UCLA Neurosurgery. UCLA Health. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
- ^ "Aqueductal Stenosis". Nervous System Diseases. Retrieved 15 October 2013.
- ^ Cinalli, G.; Spennato, P.; Nastro, A.; Aliberti, F.; Trischitta, V.; Ruggiero, C.; Mirone, G.; Cianciulli, E. (Oct 2011). "Hydrocephalus in aqueductal stenosis". Childs Nervous System. 27 (10): 1621–42. doi:10.1007/s00381-011-1546-2. PMID 21928028.
- ^ Spennato, P; S. Tazi; O. Bekaert; G. Cinalli; P. Decq (Feb 2013). "Endoscopic Third Ventriculostomy for Idiopathic Aqueductal Stenosis". World Neurosurgery. 79 (2): S21.e13–20. doi:10.1016/j.wneu.2012.02.007. PMID 22381825.