Different Outcomes in Two Cases of Idiopathic Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus in the Elderly Living Alone Diagnosed by Internists during Hospitalization
10.14442/generalist.42.52
- VernacularTitle:内科入院中に診断され異なる転帰をたどった独居高齢者の特発性正常圧水頭症の2症例
- Author:
Nobuhiro IKEDA
;
Tsuneyasu YOSHIDA
;
Shigeki YAMADA
;
Masatsune ISHIKAWA
;
Toru KAMIYA
- Keywords:
DESH;
shunt;
tap test;
idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus
- From:An Official Journal of the Japan Primary Care Association
2019;42(1):52-57
- CountryJapan
- Language:Japanese
-
Abstract:
Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a disorder observed in elderly patients causing gait disturbance, urinary incontinence and cognitive impairment. Due to the rapidly aging society, the number of patients with iNPH continues to increase yearly. However, iNPH is often overlooked because of its insidious and variable presentation. In the primary care setting, iNPH can be coincidentally discovered by neuroimaging findings, including disproportionately enlarged subarachnoid space hydrocephalus (DESH). We report two cases of iNPH in the elderly living alone that had different outcomes depending upon the availability of neurosurgery specialists. It is essential for primary care physicians to consult neurosurgeons without delay because prompt diagnosis and treatment can improve the patient's quality of life and prolong their duration of living at home.
