How low can you go? Intracranial pressure, cerebral perfusion pressure, and respiratory obstruction in children with complex craniosynostosis.

OBJECT: Elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) is a well-recognized complication affecting children suffering from complex forms of craniosynostosis. The effects of ICP, including those on vision, and the underlying mechanisms involved remain uncertain. The aim of this study was to examine the relationships among ICP, cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP), and the episodic alterations in respiratory obstruction that are common in children with craniosynostosis.

METHODS: Eleven children with complex craniosynostosis underwent monitoring overnight, including simultaneous recording of subdural ICP, arterial blood pressure (ABP), and a variety of respiratory parameters. Sleep status was also analyzed. Mean values were calculated for all variables, including ICP, CPP, and ABP, during both quiet and active sleep. Mean ICP during quiet sleep was elevated in five patients, borderline in three, and normal in three children. During active sleep, plateaus of high mean ICP were observed in all patients. Marked decreases in CPP were demonstrated during active sleep with absolute values as low as 14 mm Hg. During quiet sleep, the mean baseline CPP was 53.3 mm Hg (range 34-70 mm Hg). During active sleep, CPP fell to a mean of 32.6 mm Hg (range 23-52 mm Hg). All patients experienced obstructive breathing problems, including 10 with obstructive sleep apnea, the effects of which demonstrated a temporal relationship to the alterations in sleep status, ICP, and CPP. Elevations of ABP appeared modest and remained within the normal limits for age.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings of this study indicate that ICP, CPP, and respiratory obstruction interact in a vicious cycle, an observation that helps explain the pattern of plateau waves of elevated ICP characteristic among children with complex forms of craniosynostosis. The data gathered in this series revealed levels of CPP considerably lower than those described previously in clinical reports. Such reductions in CPP most likely contribute to the neurological, cognitive, and ophthalmological morbidity from which these children suffer frequently; therefore, the results of this study have important implications for the management of children with complex forms of craniosynostosis as well as for our understanding of the control of cerebral blood flow in general.