Which description best describes hydrocephalus?

• A. An abnormal increase in cerebrospinal fluid in the brain.
• B. A decrease in cerebrospinal fluid production.
• C. Bleeding into the brain tissue.
• D. An enlargement of the brain ventricles due to tumor.

Answer: (A)

Hydrocephalus is an abnormal buildup of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain’s ventricles, leading to their enlargement and potentially increased pressure. That makes the description of an abnormal increase in cerebrospinal fluid in the brain the best choice. This condition happens when CSF production continues but absorption is impaired or flow is blocked, allowing fluid to accumulate.

The other ideas describe different problems: a decrease in CSF production would reduce the amount of CSF rather than causing its dangerous buildup; bleeding into brain tissue is a hemorrhagic event, not a CSF accumulation problem; and while a tumor can cause ventricular enlargement by obstructing flow, hydrocephalus focuses on the accumulation of CSF itself rather than the presence of a mass.