What’s the Difference Between IIH and Pseudotumor?

IIH is only one of multiple conditions that may lead to pseudotumor cerebri

It is important to understand that IIH is only one of multiple conditions that may lead to pseudotumor cerebri. Thus, some cases of pseudotumor are truly without an identifiable cause (hence the term idiopathicThe term idiopathic is used when there is no detectable reason for something. Click the term to read more in IIH). However, in other cases, patients may meet the diagnostic criteria of pseudotumor but have a known association (such a medical condition or use of a medication) with a pseudotumor cerebri diagnosis. In these cases, depending on the condition or medication, treatment of the medical condition or removal of the medication may improve the patient’s symptoms.

Known as the modified Dandy criteriaCriteria used for diagnosing patients with IIH. Click the term to read more, the diagnostic criteria for IIH was revised in 1985, from its original version in the 1930s. Four fundamental features are required to establish the diagnosis of IIH:

Symptoms consistent with increased intracranial pressure: headaches, vomiting, and nausea. Visual signs and symptoms such as blurriness, transient obscurations of vision, and papilledemaSwelling of the optic nerve that carries visual signals from the eye to the brain. Click the term to read more.

Normal neurological exam with the exception of unilateral or bilateral cranial VI nerve paresis.
Elevated opening pressure on lumbar punctureA procedure where a needle is placed in the lower part of the spine (the lumbar spine) to access cerebrospinal fluid. Click the term to read more (greater than 250 mm) and normal analysis of cerebrospinal fluidFluid that is made by specialized cells in the ventricles of the brain. Click the term to read more.
Normal imaging of the brain.₁

References

https://n.neurology.org/content/59/10/1492

Edith Ruiz, PA-C

Edith Ruiz, PA-C is a certified physician assistant with over 14 years of clinical experience, including the care of neurological surgery and bariatric surgery patients. Additionally, she has several years of experience as a medical writer for healthcare companies to help connect patients to medical information.

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What’s the Difference Between IIH and Pseudotumor?

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