[Postoperative edema in brain tumors]

CT examination of postoperative edema of the brain in 251 neurosurgical patients showed edema to be determined by the location and histostructure of the tumor. The data obtained suggested that the pathogenesis of edema differs. Thus, vasogenous edema develops predominantly after removal of hemispheric gliomas, cytotoxic (hypoxic) edema--after removal of basal-diencephalic tumors, and hydrostatic edema--after removal of subtentorial tumors. It is shown that operative trauma causes hyperhydration of all brain structures.