Cerebral edema is a fairly common pathophysiological entity that occurs in a variety of clinical conditions. Many of these conditions manifest themselves as medical or surgical emergencies. Cerebral edema is defined as an abnormal accumulation of water in the intra- and/or extracellular spaces of the brain. Though there has been significant progress in our understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cerebral edema, more effective treatment is still needed and is still in the works. The "ideal" agent for the treatment of cerebral edema—one that selectively mobilises and/or prevents the formation of edema fluid with a rapid onset and prolonged duration of action, as well as minimal side effects-remains to be discovered. We can probably expect newer agents that specifically act on the various chemical mediators involved in the pathogenesis of cerebral edema in the coming days.
