Commercial flight and patients with intracranial mass lesions: a caveat. Report of two cases.

The authors report two cases of neurological deterioration following long commercial flights. Both individuals harbored intracranial space-occupying lesions. The authors assert that preexisting reduced intracranial compliance diminishes an individual's reserve to accommodate the physiological changes resulting from a commercial flight. Airline passengers are exposed to a mild degree of hypercapnia as well as conditions that simulate those of high-altitude ascents. High-altitude cerebral edema following an ascent to great heights is one facet of acute mountain sickness and can be life threatening in conditions similar to those present on commercial flights. Comparable reports documenting neurological deterioration at high altitudes in patients with coexisting space-occupying lesions were also reviewed.