Increased Intracranial Pressure

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Overview, Causes, & 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:

• severe head injury
• battered child syndrome
• subdural hematoma
• intraventricular hemorrhage
• meningitis
• meningoencephalitis
• lead poisoning
• Reye's syndrome
• hypervitaminosis A
• diabetic ketoacidosis (during treatment)
• water intoxication (psychogenic polydipsia)
• decerebrate posture
• decorticate posture
• fontanelles - bulging