Papilledema and idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

Abstract

Papilledema is one of the most concerning physical examination findings in neurology: it has a broad differential diagnosis of intracranial (and occasionally spinal) pathology associated with increased intracranial pressure. Papilledema impairs axoplasmic flow within the optic nerves and compresses the optic nerves externally; it may lead to profound visual loss. Thus, detection of papilledema and assessment of visual function are essential to patient management. This article reviews the treatment of papilledema-related visual loss in pseudotumor cerebri syndrome, one of the most common causes of papilledema encountered by neurologists. Results from the Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Trial (IIHTT), the first randomized, double-masked, placebo-controlled trial for the treatment of patients with mild visual loss from idiopathic intracranial hypertension, were published in April 2014. The IIHTT provides the first evidence-based treatment recommendations, showing the benefit of acetazolamide and weight loss for improving visual status in patients with mild visual field loss from idiopathic intracranial hypertension. A detailed ophthalmic examination, including perimetry, is critical to the evaluation, treatment, and assessment of treatment response in patients with papilledema.