The effects of isoflurane and desflurane on intracranial pressure, cerebral perfusion pressure, and cerebral arteriovenous oxygen content difference in normocapnic patients with supratentorial brain tumors

Background: Desflurane is a volatile anesthetic agent with low solubility whose use in neurosurgery has been debated because of its effect on intracranial pressure and cerebral blood flow. The purpose of this study was to determine the variations on intracranial pressure (ICP) and cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) as well as on cerebral arteriovenous; oxygen content difference (AVDo(2)) in normocapnic patients scheduled to undergo removal of supratentorial brain tumors with no evidence of mass effect during anesthesia with isoflurane or desflurane. Methods: in 60 patients scheduled to undergo craniotomy and removal of supratentorial brain tumors with no evidence of midline shift, anesthesia was induced with intravenous fentanyl, thiopental, and vecuronium and was maintained with 60% nitrous oxide in oxygen. Patients were assigned to two groups randomized to receive 1 minimum alveolar concentration isoflurane or desflurane for 30 min. Heart rate, mean arterial pressure, intraparenchymal ICP, and CPP were monitored continuously. Before and after 30 min of continuous administration of the inhaled agents, AVDo(2). was calculated. Results: There were no significant differences between groups in heart rate, mean arterial pressure, ICP, and CPP. ICP measurements throughout the study did not change within each group compared to baseline values. Mean arterial pressure decreased significantly in all patients compared to baseline values, changing from 105 +/- 14 mmHg (mean +/- SD) to 85 +/- 10 mmHg in the isoflurane group and from 107 +/- 11 mmHg to 86 +/- 10 mmHg in the desflurane group (P < 0.05 in both groups). CPP also decreased within each group compared with baseline values, changing from 95 +/- 15 mmHg to 74 +/- 11 mmHg in the isoflurane group and from 95 +/- 16 mmHg to 74 +/- 10 mmHg in the desflurane group (P < 0.05 in both groups). Cerebral AVDo(2) decreased significantly in both groups throughout the study, changing from 2.35 +/- 0.77 mm to 1.82 +/- 0.61 mm (mmol/l) in the isoflurane group (P < 0.05) and from 2.23 +/- 0.72 mm to 1.94 +/- 0.76 mm in the desflurane group (P < 0.05), without differences between groups. Conclusions: The results of this study indicate that there are no variations on ICP in normocapnic patients undergoing removal of supratentorial brain tumors without midline shift, as they were anesthetized with isoflurane or desflurane. CPP and cerebral AVDo(2) decreased with both agents.