Clinical characterization, imaging and response to treatment in a sample of Egyptian patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Abstract

Background: Increased intracranial pressure with normal brain parenchyma and no evidence of a secondary cause, such as a mass lesion or hydrocephalic alterations, is known as idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH).

Objective: This study aims to examine the  clinical manifestation and therapeutic response in a cohort of adult patients. Patient and methods: The Neurology Department of Zagazig  University Hospitals conducted our prospective cohort study from March 2022 to February 2023. eighteen patients with  idiopathic intracranial hypertension participated in the study (15 females and 3 males). Their age range from 19-42 year with a mean age  (±SD) of 30.6 (± 6.2).A thorough neurological and ophthalmological examination was performed, including tests for contrast sensitivity,  colour vision, assessment of visual acuity (VA) and visual field. After three months, follow-up was conducted.

Results: IIH was more  prevalent among obese females. Headache with blurring of vision without nausea or vomiting was the most important symptom.  Papilledema was the obvious sign for diagnosis. Treatment had significant improvement regarding headache and degree of papilledema  and can be used as predictor for improvement.

Conclusions: In this study we found that clinical assessment of headache severity and  papilledema grade are important findings in evaluating improvement in patients with IIH.