Isotope cisternography in patients with intracranial hypertension.

Cerebrospinal fluid flow (CSF) was studied using isotope cisternography in 52 patients with increased intracranial pressure (ICP), all of whom showed acute transient rises of ICP, i.e., plateau waves, in their continuous ICP recordings. The patients were assigned to two groups. Group I was comprised of 23 patients without hydrocephalus and high ICP resulting from brain tumors, benign intracranial hypertension, and superior sagittal sinus thrombosis. Group II included 29 patients with either communicating hydrocephalus or high ICP resulting from rupture of intracranial aneurysm. Plateau waves were frequently observed in patients with baseline pressures ranging from 21 to 40 mmHg in both groups. The isotope cisternographic pattern in the Group I patients showed a large accumulation of radioactivity over the cerebral convexities, while that in the Group II patients revealed a complete obstruction of the subarachnoid space over both cerebral convexities. The isotope clearance from the intracranial CSF showed a marked delay in both groups of patients with one exception. The results suggest that, in the limited range of increased ICP caused by delayed CSF absorption, plateau waves are most evident regardless of the isotope cisternographic pattern.