Nervous System Conditions and Disorders we Treat

The Division of Neurosurgery offers state of the art surgical management of disorders of the nervous system including:

Abnormal Pituitary

When a person has an abnormality of the pituitary gland, it produces either too much or too little of a particular hormone, which can lead to a number of other disorders. In many an instance, the pituitary gland may show an abnormal appearance but may be a normal variation amongst people. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Achondroplasia

Please see Bone Dysplasia for further information.

Anaplastic Astrocytoma

Astrocytomas are tumors that grow from the glial cells and make up almost 50% of childhood brain tumors, frequently occurring in children between 5-9 years of age. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Arachnoid Cysts

Arachnoid cysts are fluid filled sacs or cavities that appear on the arachnoid membrane and can present in many locations on the brain and/or spinal cord. Majority of these cysts are discovered incidentally and do not merit surgical intervention but rarely may cause headaches or progressive enlargement of the head. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Bone Dysplasia (Dwarfism)

Dwarfism is a type of short stature. There are hundreds of different medical conditions that can affect ultimate size and/or the growth of an infant. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Brain Abscess/Subdural Empyema

Subdural empyema and brain abscess are serious infections of the brain where pus accumulates inside or around the brain, often as a consequence of sinusitis, ear infections, dental caries or even urine infections. These can result in severe headaches, drowsiness or seizures. An urgent intervention is often necessary. Hence a consultation or visit to the emergency room is recommended. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Chiari Malformation

Please see Syringomyelia for further information.

Diabetes Insipidus

Diabetes insipidus is a rare disorder characterized by extreme thirst and the passing of large amounts of dilute urine. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Encephalocele

An encephalocele is a rare disorder where the bones of a fetus's skull do not close all the way resulting in a space through which the tissues surrounding the brain and brain tissue itself bulges. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Epilepsy

Childhood epilepsy is a brain disorder that causes an infant or a child to have repeated seizures over time. Seizures, also known as convulsions, are episodes in which brain activity is disturbed, causing changes in attention or behavior. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Hamartoma

A Hamartoma is a benign, or noncancerous tumor. It is a mixture of normal tissues/cells that grow abnormally in the place where the tissue/cells normally are found. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Head and Spine Trauma

Head and spine trauma refer to injuries or accidents that affect an individual’s brain and/or spinal cord. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Hydrocephalus

Hydrocephalus is primarily an excessive accumulation of fluid in the brain. There are many cause of hydrocephalus, which can be congenital or acquired in nature. In some children, the cause remains unknown. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Inflammatory Brain or Spine Disease

Inflammations of the brain and spinal cord are usually caused by infections from bacteria, viruses or other germs. Others may be caused by genetic abnormalities. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Macrocephaly

When a child has a head circumference that is larger than normal the medical term is macrocephaly. Most often these children may have an accelerated growth in the first few months after delivery and often have a family history of macrocephaly. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Meningocele

Please see Myelomeningocele for further information.

Metopic Synostosis

When the sutures in the middle of the forehead of an infant close earlier than they should, it’s known as metopic synotosis. A triangular pointed skull is a noticeable sign of this condition. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Movement Disorders

Please see Spasticity and Movement Disorders for further information.

Moyamoya Disease

Moyamoya disease is a rare disease, frequently seen in children, that causes the blood vessels in the brain to narrow. There are many causes for this disease and treatment is tailored according to the severity of the disease. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Myelomeningocele

A myelomeningocele is a bulge or sac of the fluid that surround the spinal cord. Spina bifida refers to the specific gap in the bony spinal column that protects the spinal cord. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Nervous System Disorders

Any condition that adversely affects the function of any part of the nervous system is called a nervous system disorder. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Neural Tube Defects

A neural tube defect is a birth defect that occurs very early in the development of a fetus, often during the first month of pregnancy, where the brain, spinal cord and spinal column do not develop normally. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Neurofibromatosis

Neurofibromatosis (NF) is a medical term that refers to a group of three unique but related disorders of the nervous system: NF1, NF2 and schwannomatosis. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Neurofibrosarcoma

Neurofibrosarcoma is a rare type of malignant cancer in children that develops in the cells of the sheath of the arms and legs, spreading along the nerves. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Optic Pathway Glioma

Glioma is a specific type of slow growing tumor that starts in one of the cells of the brain or spinal cord. When this tumor grows on or around the visual system it is known as an optic pathway glioma. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Peripheral Nerve Injuries

Please see Brachial Plexus Injuries for further information.

Peripheral Neuropathy

The peripheral nerves are the vast network of nerves that transmits messages from the central nervous system to the rest of the body. When these nerves don’t function normally it is known as a peripheral neuropathy. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Pseudotumor Cerebri

Pseudotumor cerebri is a condition characterized by headaches and visual disturbances without an underlying brain tumor. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Seizures

A seizure is a sudden abnormal burst of electrical activity in one or more parts of the brain that interrupt the normal brain signals and result in a wide variety of symptoms such as loss of conciousness and uncontrollable muscle spasms. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Spina Bifida

Please see Myelomeningocele for further information.

Spinal Cord Injury

The spinal cord is a group of nerves that run down the back of a person that carries messages from the brain to the rest of the body. Acute spinal cord injury in children is fairly uncommon, frequently occurs in adolescents/ young adults and are often male. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Syringomyelia

Syringomyelia is a rare chronic condition where fluid accumulates (syrinx) within the spinal cord. The most common cause of syringomyelia is Chiari malformation. Other conditions that may cause syringomyelia include spinal cord tumors, tethered spinal cord or shunt malfunction. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Tectal Gliomas

A tectal glioma is a slow growing, generally benign, brain tumor in children 3-16 years of age. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Tethered Spinal Cord

A birth defect where a spinal cord is held fixed or held taught by a band, this causes the spinal cord to stretch as the child grows Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Thalamic Astrocytoma and Hypothalamic Astrocytoma

An astrocytoma, a common type of glioma, is a form of brain cancer that starts in brain cells, known as astrocytes, that support and nourish other brain cells. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Transverse myelitis

TM is a rare inflammatory disease of the spinal cord (frequently the middle or thoracic part of the cord) that damages the protective covering (myelin) of the nerves ( both for movement and sensation) that transmit information between the brain and the rest of the body. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Vascular Malformations

A vascular malformation is an abnormality where clusters of blood vessels develop during fetal development. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*

Ventriculomegaly

Ventriculomegaly is a congenital condition in which the ventricles of a fetus/baby are abnormally large. Would you like to learn about more ways to get involved at Nicklaus Children's?*