**Introduction**

**Chapter 1**

**Provisional chapter**

**Introductory Chapter: History of the Hydrocephaly**

In the modern era of medicine, the term hydrocephaly (from Greek hydro=water+kefale=head) indicates an excessively increased volume of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) with dilated ventricle

The first physician who documented the hydrocephaly was Hippocrates (fifth century BC), the father of medicine. Furthermore, he attempted to treat with subdural or subarachnoid punctures. In the works of Galen (130–200 AD), one can find footprints of the hydrocephaly, as he believed the condition occurred from the accumulation of the fluid in the extra-axial spaces. As descendants of Hippocrates and Galen, many ancient Greek physicians reportedly

At the University of Padua, Vesalius (1514–1564) was first to report that "the water had not collected between the skull and its outer surrounding membrane, but within the ventricles of

Thomas Willis, in 1664, was first to come up with the idea that CSF is produced by choroid plexus of the ventricles [3]. In 1774, Cotugno demonstrated that ventricles were filled with fluid during fluid during lifer and he successfully aspirated the fluid via percutaneous methods [4]. Till to modern era, the pathophysiology of hydrocephaly was poorly understood and

As human kind technologically developed, in the twentieth century, physiology of CSF dynamics and pathological mechanisms causing hydrocephaly have more definitely determined. This new knowledge caused the discovery of more rational and radical treatments. In 1891, Quincke was first to describe lumbar puncture as an effective treatment for hydrocephaly. Continuous ventricle drainage was primarily performed by Keen. Attempt to drain

**Introductory Chapter: History of the Hydrocephaly**

© 2016 The Author(s). Licensee InTech. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

© 2018 The Author(s). Licensee IntechOpen. This chapter is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0), which permits unrestricted use,

distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.77371

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

**1. Introduction and the history of hydrocephaly**

treated hydrocephaly by trephined openings to the skull [1].

initial therapeutic attempts were generally failed.

Bora GürerAdditional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.77371

Bora Gürer

system.

the brain" [2].

#### **Introductory Chapter: History of the Hydrocephaly Introductory Chapter: History of the Hydrocephaly**

DOI: 10.5772/intechopen.77371

#### Bora Gürer Bora Gürer

Additional information is available at the end of the chapter Additional information is available at the end of the chapter

http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.77371
