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Measurement of brain tissue pressure in cold induced cerebral oedema

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Summary

Experiments were performed in order to evaluate the concept that brain oedema is associated with an increase in local interstitial fluid pressure. Assuming that the pressure measured by the cotton wick technique represents the hydrostatic interstitial fluid pressure, the tissue pressure was recorded with pressure transducers in the white matter adjacent and remote to a local cold injury, in the opposite hemisphere, and in the cisterna magna. In 9 cats during steady-state conditions mean tissue pressures between 1.20±0.30 mm Hg and 2.33±0.80 mm Hg were found, as compared to a mean CSF pressure of 5.17±0.82 mm Hg.

The tissue pressure was found to increase significantly adjacent to the lesion with oedema formation. Pressure differences occured between oedematous and normal neighbouring areas, and the final pressure difference between oedematous areas of the damaged hemispheres and healthy areas of the control hemispheres averaged about 13 mm Hg. The CSF pressure ranged between the pressures recorded in the damaged and the undamaged hemispheres. It is concluded that these pressure differences may be the driving forces for the propagation of oedema and may also be responsible for the differing local blood flow around a brain lesion, as reported earlier.

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Author notes

  1. H. J. Reulen

    Present address: Neurosurgical Clinic, University of Mainz, Federal Republic of Germany

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Neurosurgical Clinic, University of Mainz, Federal Republic of Germany

    H. G. Kreysch

Authors
  1. H. J. Reulen
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  2. H. G. Kreysch
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Additional information

This investigation was supported by a grant from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

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Reulen, H.J., Kreysch, H.G. Measurement of brain tissue pressure in cold induced cerebral oedema. Acta neurochir 29, 29–40 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01414614

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