|
|
|
|
|
|||||
Cash Counts makingcontact.org
Subscribe to the Contact a Family Directory 
This site complies with the HONcode standard for trustworthy health information: verify here.
Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension
Background
Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: Benign Intracranial Hypertension; Pseudotumour Cerebri
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a condition where intracranial pressure ((ICP) the pressure of fluid in the head) is raised. This increase in ICP is usually accompanied by papilloedema (swelling of the nerve at the back of the eye). IIH occurs in all people of all ages and is more common in females. Up to 37 per cent of cases occur in children and teenagers. Cases in very young children up to the age of one year have also been reported. IIH occurs in 1 per 100,000, however, in young obese women, this rises to 19 to 20 per 100,000. Women in their twenties are at particular risk of suffering from IIH. In order for IIH to be diagnosed, other conditions (eg brain tumour) must be excluded. A brain scan and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF; the fluid from around the brain and spine), must be normal. In IIH, the patient’s ICP may remain high for years, but symptoms can be controlled by lumbar puncture, shunts or medication (see ‘How is it treated?’ section). IIH as a condition can be self-limiting, meaning it will resolve itself after a certain amount of time. IIH patients may experience problems with their vision and approximately ten to 30 per cent of patients with IIH will have persisting permanent visual problems.
