Normal-pressure hydrocephalus: a difficult diagnosis

Normal-pressure hydrocephalus was first described more than 40 years ago as a syndrome of cognitive impairment, gait disturbance, and urinary incontinence affecting the older adult. It is a syndrome of symptoms and signs, which should be diagnosed clinically with the aid of radiological imaging and diagnostic tests. Dementia caused by normal-pressure hydrocephalus is potentially reversible. We report a case of a patient in which this disorder was diagnosed clinically after radiological imaging, but with some uncertainty. We emphasise the need for increased awareness of the presentation of normal-pressure hydrocephalus and the associated diagnostic challenges.