The infant's head size and spontaneous reflexes such as sucking, swallowing, crying, and moving the arms and legs may all seem normal. After several months of life, seizures and hydrocephalus may develop. Diagnosis may be delayed for several months because the infant's early behavior appears to be relatively normal. Transillumination, an examination in which light is passed through body tissues, usually confirms the diagnosis. There is no standard treatment for hydranencephaly.
Treatment is symptomatic and supportive.
Hydrocephalus may be treated with a shunt. The outlook for children with hydranencephaly is poor. Death generally occurs before age 1. All graphics are the exclusive property of CPN, unless otherwise indicated.