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Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
From WikEM
(Redirected from Pseudotumor cerebri)
Contents
Background
- Also known as pseudotumor cerebri/benign intracranial hypertension (BIH)
- Cause is idiopathic, but believed be due to impaired CSF absorption at arachnoid villi
- Associated with OCPs, vitamin A, tetracycline and thyroid disorders
Clinical Features
- Headache
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Vision blurring
- Irregular menses or amenorrhea
Differential Diagnosis
- Aneurysm rupture and Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
- Brain tumor
- Encephalitis
- Head Injury
- Hydrocephalus (increased CSF)
- Hypertensive brain hemorrhage
- Intraventricular hemorrhage
- Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis
- Meningitis
- Subdural Hematoma
- Status epilepticus
- Stroke
Evaluation
- Young, obese women
- Headache (worse in AM / with manuvers increasing ICP)
- Papilledema (optic atrophy/vision loss)
- can be visualized with ultrasound
- Neuro Exam frequently normal
- May have cranial nerve palsies in severe, most often CN 6
Work-Up
- CT scan (negative or slit-like ventricles)
- LP (Opening pressure >25)
- CT or MR venogram (to rule out cerebral venous sinus thrombosis)
Management
- Repeat LPs (decrease CSF pressure) - large volume LPs on the order of 30-40 cc of CSF
- Acetazolamide 500mg BID (decrease CSF production)
- Furosemide 20mg PO BID, give potassium supp as needed
- Weight loss
- CSF Shunt
- Optic nerve sheath fenestration
Disposition
- Admit for:
- Severe pain
- Focal findings
- Vision changes
- Otherwise, discharge with ophtho follow up for formal visual field monitoring
