Increased cerebral pressure in brain tumors
A brain tumor can lead to increased intracranial pressure. It is not important whether the tumor is benign or malignant. The problem is the tumor itself, which penetrates into the so-called “cerebrospinal fluid spaces”, which house the cerebrospinal fluid.
The cerebrospinal fluid spaces are subject to a cycle in which new fluid is constantly being produced and the old fluid can flow off in a certain direction. If this outflow is blocked by a large tumor, the cerebral pressure increases. In the long term, surgery is the only sustainable measure to remedy the increased intracranial pressure in these cases.
Increased cerebral pressure after a stroke
The increase in intracranial pressure is one of the most common consequences after a stroke. The increased intracranial pressure is caused by water retention (edema) in the areas of the brain affected by the stroke and thus damaged, much like a sprained ankle or twisted knee swells. For this reason, patients should be monitored in the first few days after a stroke. In the case of very severe strokes, it may even be necessary to uncover (remove a piece of the skull bone) in order to relieve the pressure on the brain.
How does the cerebral pressure correlate with the blood pressure?
There are two main connections between blood pressure and cerebral pressure: Firstly, blood pressure influences the cerebral pressure in that an elevated blood pressure also causes an elevated cerebral pressure. This is due to the fact that the cerebrospinal fluid, which is largely responsible for the cerebral pressure, is produced by filtration from the blood. If the blood pressure is elevated, more blood is filtered and more cerebrospinal fluid is produced and the cerebral pressure rises.
Patients with a known increase in intracranial pressure should therefore pay particular attention to a blood pressure that is in line with the norm. A second interaction between blood pressure and cerebral pressure is as follows: For the blood to find its way from the heart to the brain, the cerebral pressure must necessarily be lower than the blood pressure (fluids always move from the location of the higher pressure to the location of the lower pressure). This is one of the main reasons why increased ICP can be so dangerous and requires medical treatment.
