hydrocephalus

hydrocephalus definition - medical

hy·dro·ceph·a·lus (hīˌdrō-sĕfˈə-ləs) or hy·dro·ceph·a·ly (-lē)

noun
A usually congenital condition in which an abnormal accumulation of fluid in the cerebral ventricles causes enlargement of the skull and compression of the brain, destroying much of the neural tissue.

Related Forms:

  • hyˌdro·ce·phalˈic (-sə-fălˈĭk), hyˌdro·cephˈa·loidˌ adjective

The American Heritage® Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

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