Idiopathic intracranial hypertension eliminated by counterclockwise maxillomandibular advancement: a case report

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a secondary cause of intracranial hypertension (IH). Decreased jugular venous drainage has been seen in patients with idiopathic IH.

A complex case of a 48-year-old female whose idiopathic IH was put into remission after counterclockwise maxillomandibular advancement (CC-MMA), despite persistence of her OSA.

This case highlights the relationship between OSA and IH and points to the significant morbidity that can result from mild OSA and from what are considered borderline intracranial pressures. This indicates the need for a high index of suspicion for actual underlying pathology that can be surgically corrected when patients manifest symptoms of a somatic syndrome. This is the first report in the medical literature of clinical elimination of IH by CC-MMA. The authors propose that this positive outcome was effected via mandibular advancement producing a decrease in jugular venous resistance, allowing improved absorption of cerebrospinal fluid.