A case of papilledema in Camurati-Engelmann disease treated effectively with prednisolone

Camurati-Engelmann disease (CED) causes bone pain, muscle weakness, and cranial nerve symptoms due to abnormal thickening of the long bones of the limbs and the cortex of the skull. The pathophysiology of CED is a gain-of-function variant of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGFB1). The ophthalmological symptoms of CED are usually caused by increased intracranial pressure and optic canal stenosis. Here, we report the case of a patient in whom prednisolone was effective against papilledema caused by CED. In this case, when papilledema was observed in both fundi, the patient showed increased bone pain, fever, and elevated CRP and ALP levels. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a high short tau inversion recovery (STIR) signal in both optic nerves, suggesting edematous changes. Prednisolone ameliorated bone pain, fever, and papilledema, resulting in a slight improvement of the visual function of the right eye. Our results suggest that prednisolone may be effective in treating ophthalmologic symptoms in addition to bone pain in patients with CED.