Idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is persistently elevated pressure in the fluid surrounding the brain without a mass lesion or another identified cause. It can cause headache, visual symptoms, and swelling of the optic discs.

Cerebrospinal fluid: Clear fluid that circulates around the brain and spinal cord, cushioning them and helping maintain their chemical environment. Pressure in this fluid is elevated in the disorder.
Modified Dandy criteria: A clinical framework for diagnosing idiopathic intracranial hypertension using examination, imaging, and cerebrospinal-fluid findings. They organize the evidence needed to identify the disorder and exclude alternatives.
Intracranial hypertension: Abnormally elevated pressure within the skull, arising from diverse causes. The idiopathic disorder is one form, distinguished by the absence of an identified cause.
Migraine: A neurological disorder characterized by recurrent attacks of headache and associated sensory symptoms. Headache features can resemble migraine, complicating symptom-based recognition and management.
Obesity: A chronic disease characterized by excessive adiposity that can impair health. It is strongly associated with the disorder, though it does not fully explain why pressure rises.
Papilledema: Swelling of the optic disc caused by raised pressure inside the skull. It is a characteristic sign of pressure transmitted along the optic nerve sheath.
Lumbar puncture: A procedure that samples cerebrospinal fluid from the lower back and can measure its opening pressure. Opening pressure supports diagnosis when interpreted with the clinical and imaging findings.
Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis: A blood clot in the venous channels that drain blood from the brain. It can raise intracranial pressure and must be excluded before calling the condition idiopathic.
Transient visual obscuration: A brief episode of dimmed or lost vision, often triggered by posture or movement. It can signal optic-disc swelling and occurs in some affected people.
Cerebral venous pressure: The pressure within veins that drain blood from the brain. Venous outflow and pressure may interact with cerebrospinal-fluid absorption in disease mechanisms.

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