A Novel Treatment for Ischemic Intracranial Hypertension in Cats

There is no accepted efficacious treatment for ischemic cerebral edema. We show in a cat model of focal cerebral ischemia that infarct volume can be reduced (p<0.05) by ventriculocisternal perfusion with an oxygenated fluorochemical emulsion (bis-perfluorobutyletbylene). An accom-panying effect of such ventriculocisternal perfusion is a reduction in intracranial pressure. At 18 hours following the start of the perfusion, there was a significant (/»<0.05) difference in intracranial pressure between nonperfused controls (mean 11.4 [range 2.3-23.0] torr, n=6) and cats perfused with an oxygenated nutrient solution not containing fluorochemical (mean 113 [range 3.0-29.0] torr, n=8) or animals perfused with the oxygenated fluorochemical emulsion (mean 2.21 [range 0-3.5] torr, n=7). Perfusion with this oxygenated fluorochemical emulsion warrants further study as a treatment for elevated intracranial pressure. (Stroke 1991;22:80-83) Although there is active investigation intomany aspects of the treatment of acutestroke, there is currently no accepted treat-ment for a patient so afflicted. Death during the acute phase occurs due to intractable brain swelling and herniation.1 Brain swelling and intracranial pres