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Pseudotumor Cerebri (Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension)

Jessica T. Servey, MHPE, MD Reviewed 05/2023
 


BASICS

DESCRIPTION

  • Increased intracranial pressure with no clear pathophysiology

  • Many have suggested calling it pseudotumor cerebri syndrome, emphasizing the variety of subtypes (1).

  • Subtypes include tr...

DIAGNOSIS

HISTORY

  • Most frequent presenting symptom is headache. This occurs in 84–94% of patients, with 51% reporting constant or daily headaches. These headaches can be severe and have significant imp...

TREATMENT

GENERAL MEASURES

  • Weight loss is key and always recommended as adjunct to medications  (10).

  • Study using low-calorie diet and weight loss up to 15 kg demonstrated improvements in symptoms, papi...

ONGOING CARE

FOLLOW-UP RECOMMENDATIONS

Recommend frequent ophthalmologic or neuro-ophthalmologic follow-up. 

Patient Monitoring

Funduscopic exams, visual fields, and retinal thickness monitored regularly...

REFERENCES

1
Friedman  DI, Liu  GT, Digre  KB. Revised diagnostic criteria for the pseudotumor cerebri syndrome in adults and children. Neurology.  2013;81(13):1159–1165. [...

CODES

ICD10

G93.2 Benign intracranial hypertension 

SNOMED

68267002 Benign intracranial hypertension (disorder) 

CLINICAL PEARLS

  • Highest incidence in obese women

  • Headache and visual disturbance are most frequent symptoms.

  • Diagnosis made by lumbar puncture, ophthalmologic exam, and MRI; no lab testing needed

  • Weight ...

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