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. Causes of increased intracranial presure may include
bleeding into the subdural space (subdural hematoma).
Review Date: 06/28/2010
Reviewed By: Jacob L. Heller, MD, MHA, Emergency Medicine, Virginia Mason
Medical Center, Seattle, Washington. Also reviewed by David Zieve,
MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)
