Beyond weight loss: a case study and narrative review of the potential role of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists for the treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) or Pseudotumor Cerebri (PTC) is a disorder of young obese females and characterized by headache, papilledema and raised intracranial pressure. However, it is in the absence of known pathological cause. Due to the uncertainty of etiology, it may lead to misdiagnosis and grave clinical prognosis. IIH is typically treated with Lumboperitoneal Shunting (LPS) and Ventriculoperitoneal Shunting (VPS), but shunts are prone to dysfunctions and infection, resulting in recurrent headaches in many patients after this treatment. We report a case of 41-year-old obese female (BMI: 30.9) with IIH, who has a history of hypertension (Blood pressure: 150/100 mmHg) and elevated intracranial pressure (Open pressure: 450 mmH2 O). After the failure of several medical treatments, the patient was offered LPS because of vision loss and headache, but the postoperative symptoms (intermittent headache, mainly total craniocerebral prickling pain with neck and shoulder pain) were not significantly relieved for 11 years. Therefore, considering the blockage of the primary shunt tube and the small ventricle in the patient, it has difficulty in puncture ventricle puncture. We have to treat with the stereotactic VPS (SVPS) for her exacerbation symptoms. More surprisingly, the hypertension was in the normal range (<115/80 mmHg) after the surgery (without taking antihypertensive medication). To compare the surgical therapeutic effects and complications of LPS and the SVPS in the treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) diversion with VPS or LPS is usually performed when the main symptom is vision loss; it also stabilizes headache and papilledema. LPS significantly alleviates symptoms in the short term, but due to excessive shunt of LPS for a long time, it is easy to be complicated with Chiari malformation and slit ventricle syndrome. Therefore, we encourage operating the SVPS on our patients for the favorable long-term outcome.

Weight loss in idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Cerebral venous sinus stenting (VSS) has emerged as a new surgical procedure for the treatment of severe idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), and its popularity has been anecdotally on the rise. This study explores recent temporal trends of VSS and other surgical IIH treatments in the United States. Adult patients with IIH were identified from the 2016-2020 National Inpatient Sample databases, and surgical procedures and hospital characteristics were recorded. Temporal trends of procedure numbers for VSS, CSF shunts, and optic nerve sheath fenestrations (ONSFs) were assessed and compared. A total of 46,065 (95% CI 44,710-47,420) patients with IIH were identified, of whom 7,535 patients (95% CI 6,982-8,088) received surgical IIH treatments. VSS procedures increased 80% (150 [95% CI 55-245] to 270 [95% CI 162-378] per year, p < 0.001). Concurrently, the number of CSF shunts decreased by 19% (1,365 [95% CI 1,126-1,604] to 1,105 [95% CI 900-1,310] per year, p < 0.001), and ONSF procedures decreased by 54% (65 [95% CI 20-110] to 30 [95% CI 6-54] per year, p < 0.001). Practice patterns for surgical IIH treatment in the United States are rapidly evolving, and VSS is becoming increasingly common. These findings highlight the urgency of randomized controlled trials to investigate the comparative effectiveness and safety of VSS, CSF shunts, ONSF, and standard medical treatments.

Venous sinus stenting is a valuable treatment for fulminant idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Update on Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension

IntroductionEffective treatments are lacking for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), a condition characterised by raised intracranial pressure (ICP) and papilloedema, and found primarily in obese women. Weight loss and lowering body...

Purpose of ReviewThe purpose of this review is two-fold: (1) to discuss a case report of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) after abrupt cessation of a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist with resultant rapid weight gain and (2) to review the literature regarding the potential role of GLP-1 receptor agonists in the treatment of IIH as well as potential pitfalls.Recent FindingsGLP-1 receptor agonists have become widely used to treat obesity. Obesity is a known risk factor for the development of IIH, though the precise pathophysiology is unclear. GLP-1 receptor agonists may help treat IIH by promoting weight loss, lipolysis of adipose tissue, and potentially decreasing the secretion of CSF, as was seen in rat models. Abrupt cessation of GLP-1 receptor agonists can result in regaining lost weight rapidly. In the case that we present, the patient stopped duraglutide abruptly due to lack of insurance coverage and regained the weight she had lost within a month. She subsequently developed IIH.SummaryGLP-1 receptor agonists have the potential to help treat IIH; however, this class of medication needs to be used carefully, as cessation of the medication and resultant rapid weight gain can result in IIH.

Is Weight Loss Superior to CSF Diversion in the Treatment of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension? Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), also know as pseudotumour cerebri is a condition characterized by an abnormal increase in intracranial pressure (ICP) in the absence of a tumour or other diseases. The basis of management in patients with IIH is aimed at controlling the symptoms of raised ICP, notably headache, visual abnormality, and papilloedema.

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Associated with Symptomatic Perineural Cysts: Presentation of 2 Cases

Efficacy of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists in idiopathic intracranial hypertension: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

The role of weight loss and acetazolamide in the treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri)

To determine the role of weight loss in the treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) in obese women. Chart review of 250 patients with suspected IIH revealed 58 women who met our criteria, did not undergo early surgical intervention, and had adequate documentation of visual status, papilledema, and weight at the baseline evaluation and at 6 months or longer. Patients were divided into two groups based on whether weight loss > or = 2.5 kg occurred during any 3-month interval. Papilledema grade, visual acuity, and visual field grade at 6 months or longer and the time to improve each were recorded. Mean time in months to improve one grade for papilledema and visual field in one eye was 4.0 versus 6.7 (p = 0.013) and 4.6 versus 12.2 (p = 0.032), respectively, for the 38 patients with weight loss compared with the 20 patients with no weight loss. Papilledema resolved in 28/38 with weight loss (mean, 7.6 months) and 8/20 without weight loss (mean, 10.2 months; p = 0.352). There were no differences in final visual acuity or visual field between the two groups, but the papilledema grade was slightly better in the worst eye in each patient at baseline in the weight loss group (p = 0.03). Weight reduction is associated with more rapid recovery of both papilledema and visual field dysfunction in patients with IIH compared with those who do not lose weight.

Introduction: Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension is characterized by headache, visual impairment, papilledema, and increased cerebrospinal fluid opening pressure. We aim to evaluate clinical manifestations, neuroimaging findings, and treatment of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension in a Nepalese tertiary center. Materials and Methods: We retrospectively included patients with the diagnosis of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension who were admitted to the Neurology department of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital from 2019 June to 2021 May and presented to the Neuro-ophthalmology outpatient clinic of the hospital for follow-up. Results: Out of 16 Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension patients, 12(75%) patients had either headache or ocular pain. Reduced visual acuity and progressive visual loss were found in 44% of patients. Normal CSF opening pressure was found in 19%, 44% had CSF opening pressure at a range of 20-30 cm H20 and &gt; 30 cm H20 in 37.5%. 15 Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension patients (93.7%) were subtyped as Typical and 1 patient was diagnosed as Fulminant Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension. Acetazolamide was used for treatment in 15 patients and 1 patient needed ventriculoperitoneal shunting. 56% Seven patients (44%) had some abnormal findings: partial empty sella (44%), and tortuous optic nerve (31%), flattened posterior eyeball (31%), and hypoplastic transverse sinus (19%). Conclusions: Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension is an uncommon diagnosis but should be suspected in patients with chronic headaches with visual impairment. In low-resource settings, proper history along with neurological and ophthalmological examinations can even detect the early features and timely referral can save the vision and disability of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension patients.

Purpose: To determine the outcome of ventriculo-peritoneal shunts as a treatment for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH)Materials and Methods: Retrospective case series of 28 patients with IIH and evidence of raised intracranial pressure (ICP) who underwent shunt insertion. Patients were identified from a prospectively updated operative database. A case-notes review was performed and data on type of shunt, pre- and post-operative symptoms, ophthalmological findings and post-operative complications were recorded.Results: All patients had symptoms of IIH that had failed medical management. Twelve patients had previous lumbo-peritoneal shunts and 2 patients had previous venous sinus stents. All patients had evidence of raised ICP as papilloedema and raised CSF pressure on lumbar puncture. Twenty-seven patients received a ventriculo-peritoneal shunt and 1 patient a ventriculo-atrial shunt. Twenty-six patients received Orbis Sigma Valves and 2 patients Strata valves. At follow-up all patients (100%) had improvement/resolution of papilloedema, 93% had improved visual acuity and 84% had improved headaches. Mean time to last follow-up was 15 (range 4–96) months. Complications occurred in 3 patients (11%): 2 patients required revision of their peritoneal catheters and 1 patient had an anti-siphon device inserted.Conclusions: Previous literature reported a ventricular shunt revision rate of 22–42% in the management of IIH. We demonstrate ventriculo-peritoneal shunts to be an effective treatment with a revision rate of 11% compared to the previously reported 22–42%.

OBJECTIVES - To assess the efficacy of topiramate in the treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) and to compare it with acetazolamide. METHODS - Fourty patients diagnosed as IIH and randomly assigned to treatment with either acetazolamide or topiramate were assessed prospectively. Improvement in the visual fields at the end of third, sixth and twelfth months were taken into consideration. RESULTS - The demographic, clinical features and the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure of the two treatment groups were similar at the beginning of the study. When the follow-up visual field grades were compared with the visual field grades at the beginning of the study in each group a statistically significant improvement was detected with both drugs. When the results of the two treatment groups were compared with each other no statistically significant difference was present. Prominent weight loss was recorded in the topiramate group. CONCLUSIONS - Topiramate seems to be effective in the treatment of IIH. Weight reduction as well as the reduction of the CSF formation is the possible mechanism of action.