Demyelinating diseases as a result of cerebral edema?

Publication date: Available online 10 May 2017
Source:Medical Hypotheses
Author(s): Helmut Barz, Almut Schreiber, Ulrich Barz
Due to the elastic properties of the human organs, tissue edema causes an increased tissue pressure. This phenomenon leads to a reduction of blood circulation or ischemia, and thus leads to the hypothesis that tissue edema can be the cause of demyelinating lesions. Even though brain edema occurs in the whole brain, the authors assume that the characteristically focal appearance of demyelinated lesions, for instance of multiple sclerosis plaques, are attributable to anatomical and structural characteristics of the brain. In an experimental section, a balloon inserted into the brain and other organs removed during autopsies produces an increased tissue pressure. This model shows tissue pressure in the vicinity of the balloon up to 80 mmHg. The height of the produced pressure varies in different organs and special regions of the brain.The verified pressures in the pons cerebri show that stretched myelinated fiber bundles in outer regions can induce strong pressures in enclosed edematous tissue, as seen in central pontine myelinolysis.The presented experimental results support the hypothesis that demyelinated lesions, as seen in multiple sclerosis, may be caused by increased tissue pressure, or respectively, brain edema.



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