A case of idiopathic intracranial hypertension associated with PCOS

Abstract

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a rare neurologic disorder. It is also known as pseudotumor cerebri. The incidence of IIH is one to two per 100,000 population annually. The higher incidence is in obese women from 15 to 44 years. The main symptoms are headache and visual loss. It mostly affects women of childbearing age who are overweight or obese. There are many theories of pathogenesis of IIH, but precise pathogenesis is unknown. One of the causes of IIH is intracranial venous sinus thrombosis. It can cause increased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure by obstruction of venous outflow and blocking of CSF absorption. In polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) patients, thrombogenic tendency is increased due to increased aromatization of testosterone to estradiol which could induce estrogen-mediated thrombophilia. The authors present a 14-year-old girl with PCOS stigma who presented with a severe headache and papilledema. These symptoms were not improved by standard medical therapy of IIH and PCOS, but improved after laparoscopic ovarian drilling. The authors report it with a review of the literature.