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Neuro-Ophthalmology pp 61–66Cite as

Medical Treatment of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH)

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Abstract

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri) is a disorder of elevated intracranial pressure of unknown cause. Patients present with headache, pulse synchronous tinnitus, transient visual obscurations, papilledema with its associated visual loss, and diplopia from VI nerve paresis. Many disease associations have been alleged but few other than obesity, hypervitaminosis A and related compounds, steroid withdrawal and female gender have been proven. The mainstays of medical treatment are use of a reduced-sodium weight-reduction (lifestyle management) program and acetazolamide. Adjunct medical treatments are topiramate and furosemide along with symptomatic headache treatments such as naproxen and amitriptyline. Treatment decisions are based primarily on the degree and progression of visual loss and severity of papilledema. Surgical treatments are employed for IIH patients that fail medical therapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departments of Neurology and Ophthalmology, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Michael Wall

  2. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Washington, DC, USA

    Michael Wall

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  1. Michael Wall
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Correspondence to Michael Wall .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Weill Cornell Medicine, Blanton Eye Institute Houston Methodist Hospital, Houston, TX, USA

    Andrew G. Lee

  2. Metabolic Neurology, Institute of Metabolism and Systems Research College of Medical & Dental Sciences University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

    Alexandra J. Sinclair

  3. Houston Methodist Hospital, Blanton Eye Institute, Houston, TX, USA

    Ama Sadaka

  4. Houston Methodist Hospital, Blanton Eye Institute, Houston, TX, USA

    Shauna Berry

  5. Birmingham Neuro-Ophthalmology, University Hospital Birmingham, Birmingham, UK

    Susan P. Mollan

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Wall, M. (2019). Medical Treatment of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH). In: Lee, A., Sinclair, A., Sadaka, A., Berry, S., Mollan, S. (eds) Neuro-Ophthalmology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98455-1_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-98455-1_6

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-98454-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-98455-1

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

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