A dangerous condition that may occur with certain diseases such as a tumor of the brain, or after a head injury. Pressure inside the brain increases as it expands due to tissue growth or blood or fluid build-up. The brain becomes compressed inside the skull, and measures to relieve the pressure must be taken promptly to avoid life-threatening brain damage.
An elevation of the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid. In healthy people intracranial pressures range between 0 and 10 mm Hg. Pressures higher than 20 mm Hg increase the risk of compression or herniation of the brain or brainstem.