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Increased intracranial pressure |
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| Definition: | A condition in which the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid or brain matter within the skull exceeds the upper limits for normal pressure.
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| Alternative Names: | ICP; Intracranial pressure - increased
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| Causes, incidence, and risk factors: | Increased intracranial pressure is almost always indicative of severe medical problems. The pressure itself can be responsible for further damage to the central nervous system by decreasing blood flow to the brain or by causing the brain to herniate (push through) the opening in the back of the skull where the spinal cord is attached. Sudden herniation through the foramen magnum (back of the skull) is fatal.
Many conditions can cause increases in the intracranial pressure including metabolic, toxic, traumatic, infectious, neoplastic and idiopathic. Common causes include:
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Review Date: 11/28/2001
Reviewed By: Victoria Kennedy, RN, A.D.A.M. editorial (11/28/2001). Previous review: Lyle J. Dennis, MD Fellow in Critical Care Neurology and Epilepsy and Electroencephalography Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network (5/8/2000).
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