Treatment of brain edema

Several drugs, including glutamate inhibitors, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents (e.g. indomethacin) and lazeroids (21-aminosteroids that have antioxidant but not glucocorticoid activity) have also been proposed for the treatment of brain and spinal cord edema,105 but their clinical efficacy is unproved. Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) has proved effective in ameliorating tumor-induced brain edema in experimental animals; the mechanism of action is not known. The edemaameliorating effects are not a result of CRFinduced cortisone release, because CRF is effective in adrenalectomized brain tumorbearing animals.106,107 An arginine vasopressin receptor antagonist may also prove useful.86 However, at present, corticosteroids are the drug of first choice to treat tumor-induced brain edema.