Intracranial pressure in patients with papilloedema

Papilloedema is a clinical manifestation of chronically raised intracranial pressure (ICP), often seen in idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). However, the extent of intracranial hypertension required to produce papilloedema is not known. We compare ICP values in IIH patients who developed papilloedema and those who did not. We aim to identify a pathological ICP threshold predictive of the development of papilloedema in IIH patients.

Single-centre cohort of IIH patients (2006-2016) who underwent 24-hour ICP monitoring (ICPM) and ophthalmology assessments, prior to intervention. Papilloedema was graded according to the Frisén scale. An unpaired t-test compared 24-hour ICPM between papilloedema and no-papilloedema groups. Fisher's exact test was used to determine predictive value of ICP.

Thirty-six patients with IIH (35 F: 1M), mean age 32.5 ± 9.49 years (mean ± SD) were included. Patients with papilloedema had a mean median 24-hour ICP of 10.4 ± 5.32 mm Hg (n = 25), significantly higher than the group without papilloedema 6.31 ± 3.30 mm Hg (n = 11) (P < .05). The papilloedema group were exposed to higher pressures (10 mm Hg) for 30 minutes or more. Using 24-hour median ICP of 10 mm Hg as a minimum cut-off predictive value gives a specificity = 91%, sensitivity = 48%, PPV = 92% and NPV = 44% of detecting papilloedema.

A 24-hour ICP of 10 mmHg or more is a good predictor for papilloedema and reflects a pathological threshold. The range varied widely suggesting papilloedema can occur at even lower pressures. These results are consistent with emerging evidence suggest that pathologically "high" 24 hours ICP is lower than previously quoted.