Brainstem hemorrhages and increased intracranial pressure: from Duret to computed tomography

Abstract

In the late nineteenth century, Henri Duret produced minute brainstem hemorrhage in dogs by rapidly increasing their intracranial pressure. Whether those hemorrhages were the same as those seen today associated with transtentorial herniation is not agreed upon, and the term Duret's hemorrhages is rarely used. Duret's report on his experiments is condensed here and the value of computed tomography for detecting brainstem hemorrhages is illustrated by a case report.