Cerebral edema

Cerebral edema is a pathological process that is characterized by the accumulation of excess fluid in the brain tissue. This phenomenon leads to the fact that the brain increases in volume and in most cases this leads to an increase in intracranial pressure. With this pathology, not so much extracellular fluid accumulates, as the amount of water inside the brain cells increases. It is for this reason that the disease is also called "cerebral swelling".

According to the existing classification, cerebral edema can be traumatic, tumor, postoperative, inflammatory, ischemic and toxic. Also, the appearance and development of edema is likely due to epilepsy, with endocrine diseases present, as well as diseases of internal organs or blood.

Circulatory, tissue and vascular factors are involved in the development of edema. Circulatory contribute to a significant increase in blood pressure in the brain. At the same time, water filtration into the intercellular spaces is greatly enhanced, which leads to damage to brain elements. Also, circulatory factors lead to insufficient blood supply to brain tissue, its structural elements are damaged, and therefore become prone to accumulate water in them. Vascular factors are a violation of the permeability of microvessels of the brain. As a result of this disorder, blood plasma molecules pass through the broken barrier. This not only increases the amount of intercellular fluid, but also damages the cells themselves, which, in turn, leads to disruption of the function of certain brain elements. Tissue factors are damage to cell membranes. This leads to the accumulation of water inside the cells and their swelling.

Cerebral edema , in its prevalence, can be generalized and localized.

It is important to know the characteristic symptoms of this disease. As a rule, it is paroxysmal, bursting headaches. At the peak, there may be vomiting, changes in cardiovascular activity, and a disorder of consciousness. A very frequent symptom is the abnormal functioning of the optic nerves. If the swelling builds up and the brain shifts to the cerebellum, symptoms may appear, such as pupil dilated, the person's inability to look up. In the case of compression of the posterior part of the cerebral artery, visual impairment occurs. In addition, there is a possibility of vestibular disorders, vomiting. In very severe cases, breathing may stop.

Cerebral edema is difficult to diagnose because there are no specific symptoms. The manifestations of this disease are similar to the signs of many other diseases and pathologies. Also, the big difficulty is that in the early stages, there may not be any symptoms at all. A more accurate diagnosis can be made with additional studies, for example, studying the fundus. With justified suspicions of swelling, the patient is hospitalized immediately. Then a computed tomography scan is performed , with suspicions of edema being confirmed or refuted.

If cerebral edema is established, the consequences in the absence of timely treatment can be quite sad. Consequences of brain edema: constant headaches, failure in sleep, disruption of communicative abilities, absent-mindedness. All these consequences are generally considered to be remote, and the likelihood of them being confronted in the future depends mainly on the severity of the illness and on the timeliness of the care provided. With inpatient treatment, doctors are trying their best to minimize all possible negative consequences.