Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is a condition characterized by increased intracranial pressure (pressure around the brain) without a detectable cause.
The main symptoms are headache, vision problems, ringing in the ears with the heartbeat, and shoulder pain.
Risk factors include being overweight or a recent increase in weight. Tetracycline may also trigger the condition. The diagnosis is based on symptoms and a high intracranial pressure found during a lumbar puncture with no specific cause found on a brain scan.
The primary goal in treatment of IIH is the prevention of visual loss and blindness, as well as symptom control. IIH is treated mainly through the reduction of CSF pressure and, where applicable, weight loss. IIH may resolve after initial treatment, may go into spontaneous remission (although it can still relapse at a later stage), or may continue chronically.
