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Pseudotumour cerebri in a young obese woman on oral contraceptives
J Finsterer1, E-W Kues, S Brunner
1Krankenanstalt Rudolfstiftung, Vienna, Austria. duarte@aonmail.at
Objectives:
Pseudotumour cerebri has been previously recognized as a neurological side effect of combined oral contraceptives but has not been diagnosed with a delay of 3 years after initiation of combined oral contraceptives.
Case Report:
A 19-year-old obese woman developed visual impairment and headache, 4 months after starting combined oral contraceptives. Three years later symptoms deteriorated and she presented with prominent tendon-jerks and congested optical-discs. Normal CSF drained with high pressure from the spinal tap. Pseudotumour cerebri was diagnosed. Headache and visual impairment resolved within 3 weeks after discontinuation of combined oral contraceptives.
Conclusions:
Combined oral contraceptives-induced pseudotumour cerebri may remain undetected for years. Young, obese women with visual impairment and headache under combined oral contraceptives should undergo immediate neurological and ophthalmological investigation.
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