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Etiology of elevated ICP and cerebral edema
Mechanism and Etiology of Elevated Intracranial Pressure (ICP)
| Mechanism | Etiology |
|---|---|
| Increased intracellular brain water (cytotoxic edema) | Ischemic stroke, lead intoxication, anoxic brain injury, fulminant hepatic failure, Reye’s syndrome |
| Increased extracellular brain water (vasogenic edema) | Hypertensive encephalopathy, eclampsia, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, brain tumors, abscess, encephalitis, high-altitude cerebral edema |
| Transependymal edema (hydrocephalus) | Subarachnoid hemorrhage, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, meningitis |
| Osmotic edema | Hyponatremia, reverse urea syndrome, osmotherapy rebound effect, diabetic ketoacidosis, and hyperglycemic nonketotic coma (correction phase) |
| Ionic edema | Ischemic stroke |
| Venous obstruction | Sinus venous thrombosis, jugular vein thrombosis |
| Increased brain volume | Brain tumor, abscess, empyema, intracerebral hemorrhage |
| Increased blood volume | Hypercarbia, anoxia, severe anemia, hyperperfusion syndrome (i.e., postcarotid endarterectomy), vein of Galen malformation, arteriovenous malformation, arteriovenous fistula |
| Mass effect | Subdural hematoma, epidural hematoma, empyema, tension pneumocephalus |
