Hydrocephalus treated with a shunt

Hydrocephalus is a condition that causes too much spinal fluid to build up in the brain. Spinal fluid is fluid that surrounds and protects the brain and spinal cord. Normally, spinal fluid moves through the brain and drains into the bloodstream (see normal brain on the right). In a person with hydrocephalus, the fluid does not drain normally, or the body makes too much fluid. Doctors treat hydrocephalus with a shunt. A shunt is a long, flexible tube that a surgeon puts into a fluid-filled space inside the brain. The tube is placed under the skin and empties into the belly, heart, or chest. The shunt helps drain the extra spinal fluid from the brain.