DefinePK

Abstract

Cerebral edema, or intracerebral edema, is a life-threatening complication of most neurological disorders and diseases, including tumours, infections, strokes, and traumas. In this review, discussion is about the fundamentals of cerebral edema, including its causes, symptoms, and treatment. Cytotoxic, ionic and vasogenic edema are the three primary types that are elaborately discussed. Anion imbalance and energy failure lead to cytotoxic edema, an intracellular bulge. Ionic edema results when sodium and water ions move into the extracellular space following cytotoxic edema but prior to the breakdown in the blood-brain barrier (BBB). The most prevalent type, vasogenic edema, is initiated by disruption in the blood-brain barrier that facilitates movement of water and plasma proteins into the interstitium of the brain. The review also briefly discusses the concomitant of the neurovascular unit in maintaining the stability of the blood-brain barrier, the role of astrocytes, and the significance of ammonia in cytotoxic edema. Developing focused and efficient therapies to enhance patient outcomes and lower illness and death from cerebral edema requires an understanding of the unique mechanisms underlying each kind of the disorder.