Hydrocephalus in the developing world

This chapter includes content about hydrocephalus in the context of the developing world. The ‘developing world’ is now commonly referred to as low-and middle-income countries (LMIC) in global health and global surgery literature according to World Health Organization regions and World Bank income categories. Common regions in this classification include Latin America, Africa, Southeast Asia, and parts of the Middle East and Eastern Europe. The chapter begins by introducing hydrocephalus in a global context and subsequently discusses the unique aspects to hydrocephalus management in resource-limited settings. Specific topics covered include: hydrocephalus etiology, diagnosis, treatment, complications, and special considerations. It concludes with a discussion about future directions in providing comprehensive care to patients with hydrocephalus in resource-poor environments.