Recent Progress in the Study and Therapy of Brain Edema

This issue contains the proceedings of the most recent Inter­ national Symposium on Brain Edema, the 5th in a series of confer­ ences starting 1965 in Vienna. The ever since increasing interest in this field may not only result from the fact that - in clinical terms - the problem is not solved yet, but also from the many fascinating physiological and biochemical questions remaining. Moreover, the rapid progress of technical, physiological and bio­ chemical developments provides a permanent challenge to probe the subject with better and better resolution. The current proceedings provide many examples. It is safe to assume, that the history of brain edema research is familiar to most of its participants. Therefore, suffice it to remark that since the first histopathological recognition of brain edema as a separate entity among the multitude of intracranial space occupying lesions, progress in the understanding of its pathogenesis has not been straightforward. On the contrary, it has been complicated by confusing notions and concepts, some of which may have resulted from the elusiveness of the edematous changes in early histological studies, due to the inadequacy of the light microscope. Although brain edema occurs concomitantly in many pgtho10gica1 conditions of the brain, it has been suggested that its role is collateral only. Nevertheless, the potential of brain edema as a space occupying lesion is not trivial, since it raises intracranial pressure and eventually may result in lethal cerebral herniation.

Basics Of Brain Edema.- Pathomechanisms of Ischemic Brain Edema.- Effect of Drugs on Local Cerebral Glucose Utilization in Traumatized Brain: Mechanisms of Action of Steroids Revisited.- Regional Quantitative Biochemistry and Autoradiography of Protein Synthesis and Serum Extravasation in Brain Edema.- The Time Course and Distribution of Water in the Resolution Phase of Infusion Edema.- Microvascular Changes in Cold Injury Edema.- Comparison Between Histology and Forebrain Water Content at Different Times After Cold Lesion.- The Role of Molecular Charge in the Extravasation and Clearance of Protein Tracers in Blood-Brain Barrier Impairment and Cerebral Edema.- Effects of Mechanical Impact to the Skull on Tissue Density of the Cerebral Cortex.- Permeability and Immunohistochemical Studies of Brain in Chronic Hypertension.- Basic Molecular Events Underlying Transendothelial Transport in Brain Capillaries.- Ultrastructure of Cerebral Vessels in Hypoosmolar Edema.- Brain Edema in Cerebral Malaria: A Comparative Clinical and Experimental, Ultrastructural and Histochemical Study.- Cerebral Blood Volume Changes During the Development of Brain Edema.- Volume and Metabolism of C-6 Glicoma Cells Suspended in Hypotonic Medium: An In-Vitro Model to Study Cytotoxic Brain Edema.- Brain Edema Mediator Compounds and Biochemistry.- Cerebral Edema Formation and Blood-Brain Barrier Impairment by Intraventricular Collagenase Infusion.- Cerebral Uptake and Consumption of Plasma-Kininogens in Vasogenic Brain Edema: Recent Findings of Kinin Mechanisms.- Glutamate and Free Fatty Acid Concentrations in Extracellular Vasogenic Edema Fluid.- Phospholid Degradation and the Early Release of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in the Evolution of Brain Edema.- Endogenous Pools of Arachidonic Acid-enriched Membrane Lipids in Cryogenic Brain Edema.- The Activities of Phospholipase A1, A2, Lysophospholipase and AcylCoA: Lysophospholipid Acyltransferase in Ischemic Dog Brain.- Alterations of Membrane-Bound Enzymes in Vasogenic Edema.- Brain Tissue Prostaglandins and Ischemic Edema: Cause or Coincidence?.- Vasoactive Effects of Bradykinin on Cerebral Vessels and its Possible Role as a Mediator of Vasogenic Brain Edema.- Edema in Cerebral Cortex Resulting from Carotid Arterial Administration of Histamine.- Diagnosis and Assessment of Brain Edema.- NMR Studies of Brain Edema and Tumor Tissues in Stereotactic Biopsies: Correlation with Physical and Histopathological Parameters.- Proton NMR Study on Brain Edema.- Proton Spin Tomography in Brain Edema.- Thermal Analysis on the State of Free and Bound Water in Normal and Edematous Brain.- Evaluation of Periventricular Hypodensity in Clinical and Experimental Hydrocephalus by Metrizamide Computed Tomography.- CT Enhancement After Three Hours of Continuous Contrast- Infusion in Acute Stage of Cerebral Infarction.- The Water Content of White Matter After Head Injury in Man.- Brain Edema, Blood Flow and Metabolism.- Regional Cerebral Blood Flow and Oxygen Utilization in Edema Associated with Cerebral Tumors.- Peritumoral Brain Edema. Effects of Methylprednisolone on Local Cerebral Blood Flow, Glucose Utilization and Capillary Permeability.- Dissociation Between Blood Flow and Metabolic Disturbances in Edema Associated with Experimental Abscess in Cats.- Cerebral Blood Flow, AJDO2 & CMRO2 in Comatose Children.- Endothelial Cell Cultures: A New Model for the Study of Cerebro vascular Endothelium.- Modifying Cerebrovascular Responses in Focal Brain Edema.- A New Technique for the Measurement of Cerebral Blood Volume Using 3 ?m Microspheres.- O2 Availability and Q2 Metabolism in Cold Induced Brain Edema.- Reperfusion Edema in Gerbils.- Treatment of Focal Cerebral Ischemia with Prostacyclin and Indomethacin.- Brain Edema and EEG During Ischemia and After Restoration of Blood Flow.- Comparison of the Potential of Nitroprusside and Nitroglycerine to Produce Swollen Brain.- Ischemic Brain Edema.- Brain Edema Following Focal Cerebral Ischemia in the Rat.- Studies on Changes in Tissue Water Constitution and Focal Brain Tissue Pressure in Experimental Cerebral Infarction.- Tissue Pressure in Ischemic Brain Edema.- Brain Edema in the Acute Stage of Experimental Sub arachnoid Hemorrhage.- Phase Recognition of Edema Caused by Ischemia.- A Model to Study Ischemic Brain Edema in Rats and the Influence of Drugs.- The Effect of a Calcium Antagonist on the Formation of Cerebral Ischemic Edema and Ion Homeostasis.- A Quantitative Analysis of Glial Swelling and Ischemic Neuronal Injury Following Complete Cerebral Ischemia.- Protein Tracer Permeability of the Blood-Brain Barrier After Transient Cerebral Ischemia in Gerbils.- Suppressive Effect of Mannitol Upon Cerebral Infarct Formation — an Electron Microsocpical Investigation.- Element Fluxes in Ischemic Brain Nuclei and Their Possible Relationship to Brain Edema as Studied by Energy Dispersive X-Ray Analysis.- Pharmacology and Therapy of Brain Edema.- Experience with High-Dose Alternate Day Methylprednisolone in Patients with Grade III/IV Astrocytome and Secondary Cerebral Tumors.- Effect of Corticosteroids in a Human Model of Cerebral Edema Studied by Computer Tomography.- Effect of Corticosteroids at the Level of the Arachnoid Ville.- An Attempt to Automate Control of Cerebral Edema.- Shift of Water in the Brain by Intravenously Administered Hypertonic Solutions.- The Effect of Indomethacin on the Cortical Specific Gravity During Ischemia and Recirculation.- Pressure Waves of Type A and B in Patients with Brain Tumors with Special Reference to Circadian Rhythm and Steroids.- Treatment of Experimental Acute Lead Encephalopathy.- Racemic (d,1) and d-Isomer Propranolol in Focal Cerebral Ischemia.- The Effect of Acute DMSO Therapy in Brain Edema and Modification of This by Indomethacin.- Phase II DMSO Trial for Uncontrollable Intracranial Hypertension.- Brain Monoamines in Cerebral Ischemic Edema, the Effect of Gamma-Hydroxy-butyrate.- Pharmacological Approach to Postischemic Brain Edema in Gerbils.- Treatment of Vasogenic Edema by CDP-Choline, A Metabolic Precursor of Phospholipids (Experimental and Clinical Data).- Ischemic Edema in Cerebellar Infarction Causing Brainstem Compression.- Suppression of Brain Swelling with Mannitol and Perfluorochemicals: An Experimental Study.- Contributors.