Pseudotumor cerebri - Treatment

Alternative Names

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension; Benign intracranial hypertension

Treatment:

Treatment is aimed at the cause of the pseudotumor.

A lumbar puncture can help relieve pressure in the brain and prevent vision problems.

Other treatments may include:

Fluid or salt restriction
Medications such as corticosteroids, acetazolamide, and furosemide
Shunting procedures to relieve pressure from spinal fluid buildup
Surgery to relieve pressure on the optic nerve
Weight loss

Patients will need to have their vision closely monitored. There can be vision loss, which is sometimes permanent. Follow-up MRI or CT scans may be done to rule out hidden cancer.

Expectations (prognosis):

Sometimes the condition disappears on its own within 6 months. About 10-20% of persons have their symptoms return. A small number of patients have symptoms that slowly get worse and lead to blindness.

Complications:

Vision loss is a serious complication of this condition.

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if you or your child experiences the symptoms listed above.

Central nervous system

Reviewed last on: 2/5/2011
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Division of Neurology, Cooper University Hospital, Camden, NJ. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

DeAngelis LM. Tumors of the central nervous system and intracranial hypertension and hypotension. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Textbook of Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 199.

Haslam RHA. Pseudotumor cerebri. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 604.

Rosenberg GA. Brain edema and disorders of cerebrospinal fluid circulation. In: Bradley WG, Daroff RB, Fenichel GM, Jankovic J, eds. Bradley: Neurology in Clinical Practice. 5th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Butterworth-Heinemann Elsevier; 2008:chap 63.

Dhungana S, Sharrack B, Woodroofe N. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension.Acta Neurol Scand. 2010;121(2):71-82. Epub 2009 Nov 23.

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