Research Article | | Peer-Reviewed

Five-Year Retrospective Cohort Study of Hydrocephalus Incidence and Patient Outcomes in Yogyakarta

Received: 1 October 2025     Accepted: 14 October 2025     Published: 31 October 2025
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Abstract

Hydrocephalus is characterized by abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) accumulation in the brain’s ventricles, which can lead to significant morbidity and mortality without timely intervention. This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the incidence, survival outcomes, and risk factors associated with hydrocephalus among patients treated at Bethesda Hospital Yogyakarta over a five-year period. Medical records of 203 patients diagnosed with hydrocephalus between 2019 and 2024 were reviewed, and patient demographics, hydrocephalus type, treatment modality, and comorbidities—assessed using the Charlson Comorbidity Index—were analyzed. Survival outcomes were examined using Kaplan-Meier analysis, and hazard ratios (HR) were calculated via Cox regression. Most patients were aged ≥60 years (60%) and male (53.2%), with non-communicating hydrocephalus being the most common type (43.8%). Infants (<1 year) demonstrated the highest five-year survival rate (100%), while patients aged 41–59 had the lowest (57.1%; HR: 13.8, p = 0.018). Surgical treatment, predominantly ventriculoperitoneal shunting, significantly improved survival (74.0%) compared with conservative management (60.2%; HR: 1.649, p = 0.05). Among hydrocephalus types, ex-vacuo presented the best prognosis (100% survival), whereas non-communicating hydrocephalus had the poorest (63.7%; HR: 14.4, p = 0.016). Higher comorbidity scores were associated with worse outcomes, particularly in acquired cases. Overall, hydrocephalus outcomes varied significantly by age, type, comorbidities, and treatment approach, with surgical intervention offering a clear survival advantage and reinforcing its role as the primary management strategy. Early diagnosis and personalized treatment planning are crucial to improving long-term outcomes in hydrocephalus patients.

Published in International Journal of Neurosurgery (Volume 9, Issue 2)
DOI 10.11648/j.ijn.20250902.11
Page(s) 41-48
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2025. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Hydrocephalus, Retrospective Cohort Study, Survival Analysis, Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt, Kaplan-Meier Estimator, Comorbidities, Patient Outcomes

References
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[6] Tullberg, M., et al. (2024). Classification of chronic hydrocephalus in adults: A systematic review and analysis. World Neurosurgery, 183, 113–122.
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[14] Zhang, X., Li, P., Wen, J., Chang, J., Chen, Y., Yin, R., et al. (2023). Ventriculoperitoneal shunt for tuberculous meningitis-associated hydrocephalus: Long-term outcomes and complications. BMC Infectious Diseases, 23(1), 742.
[15] Cuoco, J. A., Benko, M. J., Klein, B. J., Keyes, D. C., Patel, B. M., & Witcher, M. R. (2020). Idiopathic fourth ventricular outlet obstruction misdiagnosed as normal pressure hydrocephalus: A cautionary case. Journal of Clinical Neuroscience, 11, 305.
[16] Rufus, P., Moorthy, R. K., Joseph, M., & Rajshekhar, V. (2021). Post-traumatic hydrocephalus: Incidence, pathophysiology and outcomes. Neurology India, 69(Suppl 2), S420–S428.
[17] Deng, H., Goldschmidt, E., Nwachuku, E., Yue, J. K., Angriman, F., Wei, Z., Agarwal, N., Puccio, A. M., & Okonkwo, D. O. (2021). Hydrocephalus and cerebrospinal fluid analysis following severe traumatic brain injury: Evaluation of a prospective cohort. Neurology International, 13(4), 527–534.
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Cite This Article
  • APA Style

    Wijaya, K. O., Utomo, N. P., Bagaskara, A. T., Sadjiman, E. B. (2025). Five-Year Retrospective Cohort Study of Hydrocephalus Incidence and Patient Outcomes in Yogyakarta. International Journal of Neurosurgery, 9(2), 41-48. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijn.20250902.11

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    ACS Style

    Wijaya, K. O.; Utomo, N. P.; Bagaskara, A. T.; Sadjiman, E. B. Five-Year Retrospective Cohort Study of Hydrocephalus Incidence and Patient Outcomes in Yogyakarta. Int. J. Neurosurg. 2025, 9(2), 41-48. doi: 10.11648/j.ijn.20250902.11

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    AMA Style

    Wijaya KO, Utomo NP, Bagaskara AT, Sadjiman EB. Five-Year Retrospective Cohort Study of Hydrocephalus Incidence and Patient Outcomes in Yogyakarta. Int J Neurosurg. 2025;9(2):41-48. doi: 10.11648/j.ijn.20250902.11

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ijn.20250902.11,
      author = {Kenzie Ongko Wijaya and Nunki Puspita Utomo and Arya Taksya Bagaskara and Endro Basuki Sadjiman},
      title = {Five-Year Retrospective Cohort Study of Hydrocephalus Incidence and Patient Outcomes in Yogyakarta},
      journal = {International Journal of Neurosurgery},
      volume = {9},
      number = {2},
      pages = {41-48},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ijn.20250902.11},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ijn.20250902.11},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ijn.20250902.11},
      abstract = {Hydrocephalus is characterized by abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) accumulation in the brain’s ventricles, which can lead to significant morbidity and mortality without timely intervention. This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the incidence, survival outcomes, and risk factors associated with hydrocephalus among patients treated at Bethesda Hospital Yogyakarta over a five-year period. Medical records of 203 patients diagnosed with hydrocephalus between 2019 and 2024 were reviewed, and patient demographics, hydrocephalus type, treatment modality, and comorbidities—assessed using the Charlson Comorbidity Index—were analyzed. Survival outcomes were examined using Kaplan-Meier analysis, and hazard ratios (HR) were calculated via Cox regression. Most patients were aged ≥60 years (60%) and male (53.2%), with non-communicating hydrocephalus being the most common type (43.8%). Infants (<1 year) demonstrated the highest five-year survival rate (100%), while patients aged 41–59 had the lowest (57.1%; HR: 13.8, p = 0.018). Surgical treatment, predominantly ventriculoperitoneal shunting, significantly improved survival (74.0%) compared with conservative management (60.2%; HR: 1.649, p = 0.05). Among hydrocephalus types, ex-vacuo presented the best prognosis (100% survival), whereas non-communicating hydrocephalus had the poorest (63.7%; HR: 14.4, p = 0.016). Higher comorbidity scores were associated with worse outcomes, particularly in acquired cases. Overall, hydrocephalus outcomes varied significantly by age, type, comorbidities, and treatment approach, with surgical intervention offering a clear survival advantage and reinforcing its role as the primary management strategy. Early diagnosis and personalized treatment planning are crucial to improving long-term outcomes in hydrocephalus patients.},
     year = {2025}
    }
    

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  • TY  - JOUR
    T1  - Five-Year Retrospective Cohort Study of Hydrocephalus Incidence and Patient Outcomes in Yogyakarta
    AU  - Kenzie Ongko Wijaya
    AU  - Nunki Puspita Utomo
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    JO  - International Journal of Neurosurgery
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    AB  - Hydrocephalus is characterized by abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) accumulation in the brain’s ventricles, which can lead to significant morbidity and mortality without timely intervention. This retrospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the incidence, survival outcomes, and risk factors associated with hydrocephalus among patients treated at Bethesda Hospital Yogyakarta over a five-year period. Medical records of 203 patients diagnosed with hydrocephalus between 2019 and 2024 were reviewed, and patient demographics, hydrocephalus type, treatment modality, and comorbidities—assessed using the Charlson Comorbidity Index—were analyzed. Survival outcomes were examined using Kaplan-Meier analysis, and hazard ratios (HR) were calculated via Cox regression. Most patients were aged ≥60 years (60%) and male (53.2%), with non-communicating hydrocephalus being the most common type (43.8%). Infants (<1 year) demonstrated the highest five-year survival rate (100%), while patients aged 41–59 had the lowest (57.1%; HR: 13.8, p = 0.018). Surgical treatment, predominantly ventriculoperitoneal shunting, significantly improved survival (74.0%) compared with conservative management (60.2%; HR: 1.649, p = 0.05). Among hydrocephalus types, ex-vacuo presented the best prognosis (100% survival), whereas non-communicating hydrocephalus had the poorest (63.7%; HR: 14.4, p = 0.016). Higher comorbidity scores were associated with worse outcomes, particularly in acquired cases. Overall, hydrocephalus outcomes varied significantly by age, type, comorbidities, and treatment approach, with surgical intervention offering a clear survival advantage and reinforcing its role as the primary management strategy. Early diagnosis and personalized treatment planning are crucial to improving long-term outcomes in hydrocephalus patients.
    VL  - 9
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    ER  - 

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