Interventions for idiopathic intracranial hypertension

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Published on: October 15, 2021

C Lueck1, G McIlwaine

  • 1Department of Neurology, Canberra Hospital, P.O. Box 11, Woden, Australia, 2606. Christian.Lueck@act.gov.au

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews
|July 22, 2005
PubMed

Insights

No randomized controlled trials were found for idiopathic intracranial hypertension treatments. More research is needed to determine effective and safe management strategies for this condition.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Ophthalmology

Background:

  • Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) affects 1-3 per 100,000 people globally, predominantly obese young women.
  • IIH poses a significant risk to vision and causes morbidity, primarily severe headaches.
  • Current treatments range from conservative (diuretics) to invasive (surgery).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the effects of various treatments for idiopathic intracranial hypertension.
  • To develop an evidence-based treatment strategy for IIH.

Main Methods:

  • Searched Cochrane CENTRAL, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases (up to January 2005).
  • Included only randomized controlled trials comparing IIH treatments against placebo or other interventions.
  • Two authors independently assessed search results; discrepancies were resolved by discussion.

Main Results:

  • No randomized controlled trials met the inclusion criteria for the review.
  • Consequently, no quality assessment or meta-analysis was performed.

Conclusions:

  • Insufficient evidence exists to establish an evidence-based management strategy for IIH.
  • Further properly designed trials are essential to identify beneficial and potentially harmful treatments for IIH.
Abstract

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