Dynamics of formation and resolution of vasogenic brain oedema. I. Measurement of oedema clearance into ventricular CSF.

Previous studies showed that resolution of brain oedema may occur by clearance into the CSF. The present study was performed to measure quantitatively the amount of oedema clearance in cold-induced oedema in cats. In order to determine the minute amounts of oedema fluid entering the CSF the oedema fluid was labelled with a high concentration of an extracellular marker (S35-sodium-thiosulphate). Ventriculo-cisternal perfusion was used to collect the marker in the cisternal outflow. By using the assumption that oedema fluid has the same marker concentration as the plasma, the distribution profile of extracellular space as well as the clearance rate of oedema into CSF could be computed. Oedema and thiosulphate space were most pronounced in the white matter underlying the cortical cold injury. The values then declined progressively with the distance from the lesion towards the ventricle. Oedema fluid clearance into the ventricular CSF at 24 hours following the cold injury amounted to 0.8-1.2 microliter/min or 1.15 ml/day. These data support the assumption that this may be one of the main mechanisms of the resolution of vasogenic brain oedema.