“Normal pressure hydrocephalus”: what's in a name?

• normal pressure hydrocephalus
• chronic hydrocephalus

In their paper in this issue (pp 9–12), Bret et al1 question the concept of normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) and propose renaming the condition chronic hydrocephalus. The original description of the condition is usually attributed to Hakim and Adams,2 although, as Bret and colleagues point out, the condition was probably described earlier. The original description was of a constellation of clinical symptoms and signs of symptomatic hydrocephalus without overt evidence of raised intracranial pressure rather than a defined pathophysiology. …