Fluctuating intracranial hypertension due to Cheyne-Stokes respiration

Cyclically fluctuating intracranial pressure (ICP) with periodic breathing was first described by Nils Lundberg in 1960. While Cheyne-Stokes respiration (CSR) frequently accompanies severe cerebrovascular accidents, it is not commonly appreciated that cycles of severe intracranial hypertension can complicate this abnormal ventilation pattern. We recently treated a patient with a hemorrhagic stroke in whom episodes of elevated ICP were synchronously associated with CSR.