The Effect of Dexamethasone on Cerebrospinal Fluid Production Rate in the Dog

INTRODUCTION

　Recent advances in anesthetic and neurosurgical tech—niques have improved markedly the desperate problems of both pre-and postoperative cerebral edema, however, cerebral edema of various degrees still remains an im—portant factor in mortality and morbidity which are associated with numerous intracranial pathological condi—tions.

　The high mortality or extensive morbidity accompanied with brain edema led very early to attempts to evolve solutions for its relief． Weed (1), in 1919, described efficacy of hypertonic solutions upon brain bulk and this appeared the first sagacious statement on reviewing world literature. Since that time the medical management of brain edema consisted mainly of variations of osmotherapy and basic principle of this manner was that the ill condi—tion might be relieved by inducing a shift of fluid out of the central nervous system.