Noninvasive evaluation of intracranial hypertension? Is there a gold standard?

Abstract

Computed tomography is essential in head injuried patients for the detection of structural damage to the brain. However, the ability of CT scanning to predict the presence or absence of intracranial hypertension has been debated in the literature. Since the optic nerve is part of the central nervous system and in case of raised pressure in the cerebrospinal fluid its sheath inflates. Based in this hypothesis the authors reviewed the role of the optic nerve sheat diameter in diagnosis intracranial hypertension after traumatic brain injury. This non-invasive method is useful to predict the risk of intracranial hypertension and select patients to ICP monitoring, especially in those with normal CT scans.

Keywords

• intracranial hypertension
• optic nerve injuries
• tomography