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Abstract
PURPOSE OF REVIEW Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a disorder of raised intracranial pressure (ICP). Although the majority of patients with IIH present classically with headache and papilledema, some patients may have unusual presentations or manifestations. Recent advancements in neuroimaging have facilitated the identification of other presentations associated with IIH. This review provides an overview of the expanding clinical spectrum of IIH. RECENT FINDINGS Presentations of IIH that are considered unusual include highly asymmetric or unilateral papilledema, IIH without papilledema, and IIH associated with cranial nerve involvement. These presentations likely reflect differences in the way cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure is transmitted intracranially. Radiological signs of intracranial hypertension are increasingly recognized in patients with IIH and provide further insights into the effects of raised ICP on intracranial structures. Osseous changes in the skull base leading to formation of meningoceles and encephaloceles have been identified in patients with IIH, spontaneous skull base CSF leak, and drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy, suggesting a possible association. SUMMARY Clinicians should be familiar with the expanding clinical spectrum of IIH and the implications for the management of these presentations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benson S. Chen
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge
- Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - John O.T. Britton
- John van Geest Centre for Brain Repair and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Cambridge
- Cambridge Eye Unit, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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2
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Chen BS, Newman NJ, Biousse V. Atypical presentations of idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Taiwan J Ophthalmol 2021; 11:25-38. [PMID: 33767953 PMCID: PMC7971435 DOI: 10.4103/tjo.tjo_69_20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a disorder of unknown etiology that results in isolated raised intracranial pressure. Classic symptoms and signs of IIH include headache, papilledema, diplopia from sixth nerve palsy and divergence insufficiency, and pulsatile tinnitus. Atypical presentations include: (1) highly asymmetric or even unilateral papilledema, and IIH without papilledema; (2) ocular motor disturbances from third nerve palsy, fourth nerve palsy, internuclear ophthalmoplegia, diffuse ophthalmoplegia, and skew deviation; (3) olfactory dysfunction; (4) trigeminal nerve dysfunction; (5) facial nerve dysfunction; (6) hearing loss and vestibular dysfunction; (7) lower cranial nerve dysfunction including deviated uvula, torticollis, and tongue weakness; (8) spontaneous skull base cerebrospinal fluid leak; and (9) seizures. Although atypical findings should raise a red flag and prompt further investigation for an alternative etiology, clinicians should be familiar with these unusual presentations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benson S. Chen
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Auckland City Hospital, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Nancy J. Newman
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Valérie Biousse
- Department of Ophthalmology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
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Poff CB, Lipschitz N, Kohlberg GD, Breen JT, Samy RN. Hemifacial Spasm as a Rare Clinical Presentation of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: Case Report and Literature Review. Ann Otol Rhinol Laryngol 2020; 129:829-832. [PMID: 32390451 DOI: 10.1177/0003489420920319] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES To report a rare case of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) presenting with hemifacial spasm (HFS) and review the current literature. METHODS Case report and literature review. The patient's medical record was reviewed for demographic and clinical data. For literature review, all case reports or other publications published in English literature were identified using PUBMED. RESULTS A 43-year-old obese female presented with a 2-year history of left HFS.Electroencephalography and head computed tomography were unremarkable. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated bilateral anterior inferior cerebellar artery vascular loops involving the internal auditory canals as well as IIH-associated findings. A lumbar puncture was performed and revealed an elevated opening pressure of 26 cm H20 cerebrospinal fluid. Acetazolamide treatment was then initiated, resulting in complete resolution of the HFS. CONCLUSION HFS may be a rare presenting manifestation of IIH, and treatment of IIH may result in improvement of HFS symptoms. This is the first report of IIH presenting with HFS in the absence of headache or visual change. As a result, this is the first report of HFS as a presenting manifestation of IIH in Otolaryngology literature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles B Poff
- College of Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC, USA
| | - Noga Lipschitz
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Gavriel D Kohlberg
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Joseph T Breen
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Neurosensory Disorders Center at University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Ravi N Samy
- Department of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Neurosensory Disorders Center at University of Cincinnati Gardner Neuroscience Institute, Cincinnati, OH, USA.,Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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Hoffmann J, Kreutz KM, Csapó-Schmidt C, Becker N, Kunte H, Fekonja LS, Jadan A, Wiener E. The effect of CSF drain on the optic nerve in idiopathic intracranial hypertension. J Headache Pain 2019; 20:59. [PMID: 31122204 PMCID: PMC6734439 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-019-1004-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 04/22/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Elevation of intracranial pressure in idiopathic intracranial hypertension induces an edema of the prelaminar section of the optic nerve (papilledema). Beside the commonly observed optic nerve sheath distention, information on a potential pathology of the retrolaminar section of the optic nerve and the short-term effect of normalization of intracranial pressure on these abnormalities remains scarce. Methods In this exploratory study 8 patients diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension underwent a MRI scan (T2 mapping) as well as a diffusion tensor imaging analysis (fractional anisotropy and mean diffusivity). In addition, the clinical presentation of headache and its accompanying symptoms were assessed. Intracranial pressure was then normalized by lumbar puncture and the initial parameters (MRI and clinical features) were re-assessed within 26 h. Results After normalization of CSF pressure, the morphometric MRI scans of the optic nerve and optic nerve sheath remained unchanged. In the diffusion tensor imaging, the fractional anisotropy value was reduced suggesting a tissue decompression of the optic nerve after lumbar puncture. In line with these finding, headache and most of the accompanying symptoms also improved or remitted within that short time frame. Conclusion The findings support the hypothesis that the elevation of intracranial pressure induces a microstructural compression of the optic nerve impairing axoplasmic flow and thereby causing the prelaminar papilledema. The microstructural compression of the optic nerve as well as the clinical symptoms improve within hours of normalization of intracranial pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Hoffmann
- Department of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany. .,Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, Wellcome Foundation Building, Denmark Hill Campus, London, SE5 9PJ, UK.
| | - Katharina Maria Kreutz
- Department of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Neuroradiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Christoph Csapó-Schmidt
- Department of Neuroradiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Nils Becker
- Department of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.,Department of Neuroradiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hagen Kunte
- Department of Neurology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.,Faculty of Natural Sciences, Medical School Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lucius Samo Fekonja
- Department of Neurosurgery, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117 Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Anas Jadan
- Department of Neuroradiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - Edzard Wiener
- Department of Neuroradiology, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
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Abstract
Stroke mimics are an important consideration for emergency physicians and physician extenders working in emergency departments. The emergency medicine physician must determine whether the acute neurologic deficits represent a transient event or a potential stroke. This article describes the common stroke mimic presentations by cause, including toxic-metabolic pathologies, seizure disorders, degenerative neurologic conditions, and peripheral neuropathies.
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Speer C, Pearlman J, Phillips PH, Cooney M, Repka MX. Fourth cranial nerve palsy in pediatric patients with pseudotumor cerebri. Am J Ophthalmol 1999; 127:236-7. [PMID: 10030583 DOI: 10.1016/s0002-9394(98)00422-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To describe three children with acute fourth cranial nerve palsy secondary to pseudotumor cerebri. METHODS We reviewed the medical records of children younger than 18 years who were diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri between 1977 and 1997. Pseudotumor cerebri was defined by normal neuro-imaging, elevated intracranial pressure measured by lumbar puncture, and normal cerebrospinal fluid composition. RESULTS Three children with pseudotumor cerebri presented with vertical diplopia and clinical signs of fourth cranial nerve palsy including a hypertropia of the affected eye, which increased with adduction and ipsilateral head tilt. The fourth cranial nerve palsy resolved after reduction of the intracranial pressure in all three children. CONCLUSIONS Fourth cranial nerve palsy may occur in children with pseudotumor cerebri and may be a nonspecific sign of elevated intracranial pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Speer
- Harvey and Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Arkansas Medical Center, Little Rock, USA
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Abstract
PURPOSE Demographic and outcome data in the era of modern neuroimaging are needed to describe pseudotumor cerebri in children. METHODS We reviewed the medical records of children less than 18 years old who were diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri between 1977 and 1997. We defined pseudotumor cerebri as (1) increased intracranial pressure, (2) normal or small ventricles, and (3) normal cerebrospinal fluid composition. The condition might be idiopathic or the result of a nontumor etiology. RESULTS Thirty-seven patients had an initial diagnosis of pseudotumor cerebri. Two patients were subsequently diagnosed with a central nervous system malignancy and were excluded from further analysis. The remaining 35 patients included 10 patients with idiopathic pseudotumor cerebri and 25 patients with disorders reported to be associated with pseudotumor cerebri. The mean age was 10.6 years with a range of 3 to 17 years. Twenty patients (57%) were female and 13 patients (37%) were obese. At presentation 4 patients had a visual acuity less than 20/40 in the best eye and 10 patients had visual field deficits. Seventeen patients (49%) had cranial nerve deficits, all of which resolved with normalization of the intracranial pressure. Follow-up data were obtained on 30 patients. Only one patient had a final visual acuity less than 20/40 in the best eye, whereas six patients had residual visual field deficits. Ten patients (33%) had optic nerve atrophy. CONCLUSIONS There was no gender predominance, and associated etiologic factors were common in these children with pseudotumor cerebri. Permanent visual loss occurs in some children with pseudotumor cerebri. Quantitative perimetry and optic nerve examination were more sensitive than visual acuity determination in detecting damage to the visual sensory system. In rare instances the patient diagnosed with pseudotumor cerebri will be found after extended follow-up to harbor an intracranial neoplasm.
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Affiliation(s)
- P H Phillips
- Wilmer Ophthalmological Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21287-9009, USA
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