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Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: A Case Report
Anupam Ghimire1, Achal Raj Acharya2, Anish Karn1
1Department of General Practice and Emergency Medicine, Patan Academy of Health Sciences, Lagankhel, Lalitpur, Nepal.
JNMA; Journal of the Nepal Medical Association
|September 10, 2021
Summary
Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension is rare in healthy young men. Persistent headaches in this demographic warrant consideration for this diagnosis after other causes are excluded.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) is rarely diagnosed in young, physically fit males.
- It is often a diagnosis of exclusion for patients with signs of increased intracranial pressure.
Observation:
- A young, ideal-weight male presented with headache, blurred vision, and photopsia.
- Neurological examination was unremarkable, but lumbar puncture revealed elevated opening pressure.
- Ophthalmological exam showed bilateral papilledema and peripheral visual field loss.
Findings:
- Brain and orbital MRI scans were normal, ruling out structural lesions.
- The patient was diagnosed with IIH after neurosurgical consultation.
- Diagnosis and management were initiated in a primary care setting.
Implications:
- This case highlights the importance of suspecting IIH in ideal-body-weight males with persistent headaches.
- Early consideration of IIH is crucial, even in atypical demographics, once other causes are excluded.
- Primary care physicians should be aware of IIH presentation in healthy young men.
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