Great strides have been made in understanding the pathogenesis of cerebral edema. Treatment is usually successful, particularly with the newer modes of management (mannitol, steroids, hyperventilation); however, cerebral edema is occasionally resistant to all modes of therapy. At that point, no treatment is effective; even if the patient does survive, he is left with a major severe neurological deficit. Future research must be directed toward methods of reversing this presently untreatable state.
