[Visual functional disorders in benign intracranial hypertension]

Seventy-two patients (69 women and 3 men) with benign intracranial hypertension were examined. Besides general clinical signs, such as headache in 71, giddiness in 29, vomiting in 19, poor health in general in 18, painful movements of the eyeballs in 11, unsteady walking in 10, ringing in the ears in 9, noise in the head in 3, all the patients developed changes in the organ of vision. Congestive optic disks were detected in all the cases. Obnubilations were detected in 34 (47.2%) patients, diplopia in 5 (6.9%). Vision acuity was reduced in 33 (45.8%) patients, visual field was limited in 23 (31.9%). Forty-three patients completely recovered, negligible residual symptoms of benign intracranial hypertension persisted in 16, and all symptoms of the condition were virtually unchanged in 13 patients. Vision acuity remained reduced in 10 (13.9%) patients, and one female patient developed amaurosis of both eyes.