Edema cerebral de altura: Presentacion de 12 casos

We report 12 patients who developed high altitute cerebral edema among 615 patients with acute mountain sickness evaluated in Ecuador. Six patients were residents in the plain and the remaining 6 lived in the highlands between 2.500 and 2.900 above the sea level. Patients were evaluated with a standard protocol that included a neurological examination, fundoscope evaluation, and cardiopulmonary exam. All patients developed headache, somnolence, apathy or symptoms suggestive of cerebellar dysfunction. Likewise, all patients had papilledema. Eight patients had associated cardiac or pulmonary signs or symptoms. Statistical analysis showed that exposure to high altitude for patients aged 23 to 51 years was a significant risk factor for the develpment of cerebral edema (p = 0.01).