Experimental neurogenic pulmonary edema Part 2: The role of cardiopulmonary pressure change.

Pressure changes in the aorta, left atrium, and main pulmonary artery were measured before, during, and after inducing increased intracranial pressure in cats. By selectively controlling each of the three pressures, it was concluded that pulmonary arterial hypertension is the single most important precursor of experimental neurogenic pulmonary edema. An earlier observation that neurogenic pulmonary edema may develop in the absence of systemic arterial hypertension was confirmed.