Chapter 26: Acute oncology
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Definition
Intracranial pressure (ICP) is defined as the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid in the subarachnoid space (the space between the skull and the brain) (Allan [3]). In healthy adults, ICP is maintained nearly constant between 0 mmHg and 15 mmHg (Woodrow [310]). A level of ICP higher than 15 mmHg is considered abnormal and is defined as raised ICP, or intracranial hypertension (Woodrow [310]).
A space‐occupying lesion (SOL) is any abnormal tissue found on or in an organism, usually damaged by disease or trauma. A space‐occupying lesion of the brain (CNS SOL) is usually due to malignancy but it can be caused by other pathology such as an abscess or a haematoma.