The Andalusian surgeon al-Zahrawi (936-1013) and his method of treatment for infantile hydrocephalus in Muslim Spain

Hydrocephalus is a condition in which excess cerebrospinal fluid builds up within the fluid-containing cavities or ventricles of the brain, with its name deriving from the Greek words “hydro” (ύδρο), meaning water, and “cephalus” (κέφαλος), meaning the head. Cases of hydrocephalus have been known to humankind since the era of Hippocrates, Galen and the medieval Arabian physicians. During the 10th century, Abul-Qasim Al-Zehrawi was the first physician to write detailed notes about hydrocephalus and the instruments he had used during treatment through trepanation. His contributions to medicine made him a pioneer in the field of operative surgery, while he is considered to be among the greatest surgeons of the Middle Ages.