Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH)

The first report of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) was by Quinche in 1893. Throughout history it has had many names. When I was a child growing up, before we had antibiotic therapy, middle ear infections occasionally would trigger intracranial inflammation and the disease was called Otitic Hydrocephalus. Then it was called Benign Intracranial Hypertension which we now know is far from benign. In 1931 Symonds was the first to suggest that it was caused by dural sinus obstruction. Loss of vision or field is not uncommon in untreated cases. We now use the term Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension to express our ignorance about the cause and mechanism of the disease. Some cases are related to causes that we can identify and correct. These include Vitamin A, Tetrcycline, Lithium and Corticosteroids. The mechanism of these are not fully understood but their causal relationship is historically known. Many cases still fall into the unknown cause category.