Excess cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) in the head causes pressure on the brain and is called hydrocephalus. It is most commonly caused by inadequate absorption of the CSF, but very rarely patients simply produce too much CSF for their bodies to manage. Blockage of absorption is usually caused by scarring of the tissue around the brain after bleeding or infection, but may be from obstruction of the pathway from a genetic abnormality or a mass. The pressure must be addressed by draining the CSF to another area of the body (usually the belly) with a permanent shunt, or sometimes an internal bypass (ETV) can be created to allow the CSF to be absorbed inside the skull without a shunt.
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