Sonographic assessment of the optic nerve and the central retinal artery in idiopathic intracranial hypertension

PurposeTransorbital sonography easily detects papilledema and enlarged optic nerve sheath diameters (ONSD) in IIH (idiopathic intracranial hypertension) patients. As the central retinal artery is located within the optic nerve, its hemodynamic properties might be affected by the increased pressure. In this study we assessed the diagnostic usefulness of transorbital sonography in IIH with a special focus on color Doppler imaging of the central retinal artery. IIH patients presented papilledema and enlarged ONSD. ONSD accurately predicted an increased intracranial pressure in IIH (cut-off: 5.8 mm, 81% sensitivity, 80% specificity). 24 h following therapeutic lumbar puncture ONSD diminished significantly, whereas papilledema was not changed. PSV (peak systolic velocity) and Vmean (mean flow velocity) of the central retinal artery were increased in IIH patients compared to controls. PSV accurately predicted an increase of intracranial pressure (cut-off: 11.0 cm/s, 70% sensitivity, 69% specificity). PI (pulsatility index), PSV and Vmean decreased following lumbar puncture. PSV and Vmean decreases were statistically significant for right eyes only in which the values changed to normal. In summary, besides ONSD enlargement and papilledema transbulbar sonography demonstrated an alteration of central retinal artery blood flow in IIH patients. Especially PSV might serve as valuable surrogate marker for intracranial pressure in IIH. Furthermore, the change of intra-individual central retinal arteries PI might be a valuable parameter to demonstrate response to lumbar puncture in IIH patients.     

Cerebral hemodynamics during induced tachycardia in routine electrophysiologic studies: A transcranial Doppler study

Abstract

Supraventricular and ventricular tachyarrhythmia are established causes of syncope. We investigated the mean blood flow velocities (V_mean) of the middle cerebral arteries (MCA) during routine cardiac electrophysiologic studies in patients with supraventricular and ventricular tachyarrhythmias in order to evaluate the changes in cerebral hemodynamics associated with pre-syncopal and syncopal states. Thirtytwo patients with a history of supraventricular (n = 14) or ventricular (n = 18) tachyarrhythmias were investigated in the nonsedatedl post-absorptive state in supine position. V_mean was assessed in both MCAs by means of transcranial Doppler under resting conditionsl during atrial and ventricular pacing at constant rates (n = 28) and during induction of tachyarrhythmia (n = 4). Mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and heart rate were also recorded. Seven patients suffered pre-syncope at a heart rate of 187 ± 45 bpm (mean ± SO) with an average drop of 44% in the V_mean MCAI and statistically insignificant changes in MABP. Five patients suffered syncope during tachyarrhythmia (mean heart rate 283 ± 42 bpm) with a reduction of 69% in the V_mean MCA. MABP could be assessed iii two of those patients and showed a drop of 15 and 43 mmHgl respectively. During tachyarrhythmia pre-syncope and syncope are associated with an average reduction in V_mean MCA by 44% and 69%1 respectively. The decrease in MCA blood flow velocity is a more important predictive factor for the development of pre-syncope and syncope than the MABP. [Neural Res 1998; 20: 504-508]     

Long-term evolution of papilledema in idiopathic intracranial hypertension: observations concerning two cases

Chronic headaches, associated with papilledema and pulsatile tinnitus without any neuroradiologic, cytobiochemical or cerebrospinal fluid abnormalities are suggestive of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). However the absence of the papilledema does not rule out this diagnosis. The reason why some patients do not develop papilledema in IIH is ignored, however there are some hypotheses concerning the structure of the optical nerve. In this study we described two female patients that presented diagnosis of IIH with papilledema, with subsequent resolution of papilledema without the due resolution of intracranial hypertension. The long-term behavior of the optic nerve (ON) facing an increased intracranial pressure was evaluated through repeated measurements of the intracranial pressure. We concluded that the ON submitted to high intracranial pressure for a certain length of time can adapt itself with subsequent disappearance of the papilledema. The presence or not of papilledema in IIH can be related to the period in which the diagnosis is accomplished.     

Cerebral blood flow characteristics in patients with post-lumbar puncture headache

The aim of this study was to verify if diagnostic lumbar puncture (DLP) in post-lumbar puncture headache (PLPH) patients is related to significant changes in cerebral blood flow which could be visualized by transcranial Doppler (TCD). Sixty-six patients were enrolled in this study. TCD was performed 24 h before DLP and repeated within 24 h after the procedure. The measurements included mean velocity (V _mean), peak systolic velocity (V _max), and Gosling’s pulsatility index (PI), in the left and right middle cerebral artery (MCA). PLPH was observed in 21 patients (32%). No significant differences were noted in V _mean, V _max and PI between the right and left MCAs—both before DLP and following this procedure. In patients who developed PLPH, bilateral pre-puncture values of V _mean and V _max were significantly higher and PI was significantly lower compared to unaffected individuals. No significant differences were observed between these groups in terms of post-puncture V _mean and V _max, but the post-puncture PI was still significantly lower in PLPH cases. In PLPH cases, the post-puncture values of V _mean and V _max were significantly lower than the respective baseline parameters. A significant inverse correlation was present between PLPH severity and bilateral pre-puncture PI. In conclusion, this study revealed that higher baseline values of V _mean and V _max and low PI in bilateral MCAs predispose patients to PLPH.     

Transcranial Doppler for evaluation of idiopathic intracranial hypertension

OBJECTIVES: The value of transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography in assessing patients with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) is uncertain. We sought to determine the contribution of TCD to their evaluation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-three patients with suspected IIH underwent TCD. Mean blood flow (BFV), peak systolic (PSV) and end-diastolic (EDV) velocities, and pulsatility (PI) and resistance (RI) indexes were obtained in the middle cerebral (MCA) and vertebral (VA) arteries and compared (Student's t-test) between patients with confirmed IIH and controls. IIH patients and controls were comparable in terms of age, gender and weight. RESULTS: The mean +/- SD BFV(MCA), PSV(MCA), EDV(MCA) and PI(VA) in the 13 IIH patients were higher than in the ten controls (59 +/- 6.8, 94 +/- 28.5, 43 +/- 12.4, 0.86 +/- 0.16 and 50 +/- 8.6, 72 +/- 25.8, 32 +/- 11.5, 0.58 +/- 0.45 respectively, P < 0.05) but still within normal values. The mean +/- SD PI(MCA), RI(MCA) and RI(VA) values in the IIH patients and controls were similar. CONCLUSIONS: TCD parameters had no useful unique features for monitoring IIH patients.     

Sonographic assessment of optic nerve and ophthalmic vessels in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Background: Early diagnosis and proper monitoring of intracranial pressure (ICP) in idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) could reduce morbidity.

Objectives: The objective was to explore and monitor reflection of raised ICP in IIH on optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD), papillary height and ophthalmic vessels hemodynamics, using transorbital sonography (TOS).

Methods: The study included 24 IIH patients and 30 controls. Patients were compared to controls (phase I) then reassessed twice; 1 week and 4 weeks later (phase II). Both groups underwent clinical evaluation and TOS to measure ONSD, papillary elevation, and color Doppler indices of the ophthalmic vessels. Patients underwent lumbar puncture (LP) to measure cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure.

Results: ONSD was significantly higher in patients compared to controls (p < 0.001). The cut-off value was 6.2 mm. Papillary elevation (p = 0.006) and ONSD (p = 0.006) were significantly reduced 4 weeks following LP. Baseline color Doppler indices of the ophthalmic vessels were comparable between both groups and the changes observed during the follow-up visits in the patients were insignificant.

Conclusion: Reflected ICP changes on ONSD and papilla, measured by TOS, could be a valuable noninvasive additional tool to diagnose and monitor IIH patients. IIH insignificantly influences ophthalmic vessels hemodynamics.

Abbreviation BMI: Body mass index. CSF: Cerebrospinal fluid. EDV: End diastolic velocity. ICP: Intracranial pressure. IH:intracranial hypertension. IIH: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension. LP: Lumbar puncture. MI: Mechanical index. MRI: Magnetic resonance imaging. MRV: Magnetic resonance venography. OA: Ophthalmic artery OND: Optic nerve diameter. ONSD: Optic nerve sheath diameter. OV: Ophthalmic vein. PIs: Pulsatility indices. PSV: Peak systolic velocity. ROC: Receiver operator characteristic. TOS: Trans-orbital sonography.     

Pseudopapilledema and association with idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Purpose

Diagnosing idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), or pseudotumor cerebri, can be challenging in children. Diagnosis is based on lumbar puncture, opening pressures, and appearance of the optic disk. Misdiagnosis of papilledema, a typical finding, may lead to unnecessary treatments and procedures. We report 52 children over a 6-year period to better identify the true incidence of pseudopapilledema and other factors that may confound the diagnosis of IIH.

Methods

A retrospective chart review approved by the Institutional Review Board was performed. Fifty-two children under the age of 21 referred to us based on suspected IIH or papilledema from 2007 to 2013 are included in this study. Patients were assessed by a pediatric ophthalmologist and a neurosurgeon.

Results

Fifty-two children were initially diagnosed with IIH and/or papilledema; 26 diagnoses were revised to pseudopapilledema after pediatric ophthalmological review. Out of those 26 patients with pseudopapilledema, 14 had undergone lumbar punctures, 19 had MRIs, 9 had CTs, and 12 were taking medications—these medications were discontinued upon revision of the diagnoses. The difference in the CSF opening pressure between children diagnosed with true IIH (32.7 cm H₂O) and children diagnosed with pseudopapilledema (24.7 cm H₂O) was statistically significant.

Conclusions

IIH diagnosis is heavily reliant on the appearance of the optic disk. Pediatric ophthalmological assessment is essential to carefully examine the optic disk and prevent further unnecessary investigation and treatments. Close communication between pediatricians, ophthalmologists, and neurosurgeons can avoid invasive procedures for children who do have pseudopapilledema, and not IIH or associated papilledema.     

Impairment of cerebral hemodynamic response to the cold pressor test in patients with Parkinson's disease

Background and purposeDisturbance of the autonomic nervous system (ANS) is frequently encountered in Parkinson's disease (PD). In this study, we examined changes in systemic and cerebral hemodynamics during the cold pressor test (CPT) to determine whether cerebrovascular reactivity, controlled by the sympathetic nervous system, is intact or impaired in patients with PD.MethodsForty-nine patients with PD and 49 sex- and age-matched non-PD subjects were evaluated. Measurements were performed in the resting state and over a period of 1 min of CPT. The cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) and pulsatility index (PI) of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) were recorded by transcranial color-coded Doppler ultrasonography (TCCS). Mean arterial blood pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), and end-tidal CO₂ (Et-CO₂) were investigated simultaneously. The resistance of the cerebrovascular bed (CVR) was calculated as the ratio of mean arterial blood pressure to mean cerebral blood flow velocity (Vm). Changes of Vm, PI and CVR in response to the cold pressor test were evaluated.ResultsBaseline values for control and PD subjects showed no statistical difference. CPT induced a significant increase in MAP, HR, and Vm in both groups. Pulsatility index (PI) and CVR were decreased in both groups during CPT. Percent increases of Vm (P < 0.001) and MAP (P = 0.011) were significantly higher while the percent decreases of PI (P = 0.002) and CVR (P = 0.007) were significantly decreased more in the non-PD group.ConclusionsThis study indirectly shows that ANS-mediated cerebrovascular reactivity is impaired in patients with PD. Further investigations are needed to confirm the hypothesis that using the cold pressor test to evaluate cerebrovascular reactivity might be beneficial in early diagnosis of impairment of ANS-mediated cerebrovascular autoregulation in patients with PD.     

眼-颈一体超声在特发性颅内压增高及颅内静脉窦血栓中的应用价值

目的 研究眼部超声及颈静脉超声在特发性颅内压增高(ⅡH)及颅内静脉窦血栓(CVST)中的应用价值.方法 回顾性纳入2017年1月至2019年12月于吉林大学白求恩第一医院神经内科住院治疗的新诊断的IIH患者20例、CVST患者25例,所有的患者需完成眼部超声及颈部静脉超声检查.收集年龄、性别和BMI匹配的对照组40例....     

Neuron-specific enolase levels as a marker for possible neuronal damage in idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Although formerly considered as a “benign” disease, the presence of some important problems such as vision loss, resistance to appropriate medical treatment and relapses suggests that neuronal damage might play a role in the pathophysiology of IIH. In order to demonstrate possible neuronal damage/dysfunction participating in IIH pathophysiology, we aimed to investigate the relationship between serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) levels and clinical features in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Thirty-six patients with IIH, diagnosed according to the revised criteria, and 40 age, gender and body mass index-matched healthy controls were enrolled in this study after their consent. Serum samples were evaluated for NSE via enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. NSE levels were higher in the IIH group (23.7 ± 14.53 ng/ml) compared to the control group (22.7 ± 13.11 ng/ml), but the difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.824). There were also no statistically significant differences in NSE levels in IIH patients regarding the presence of visual loss, relapse, oligoclonal bands and papilledema. We could not demonstrate any correlations between NSE levels and age, body mass index, cerebrospinal fluid opening pressure and disease duration. The present study is the first to analyze NSE levels in IIH patients and showed no significant difference between patients and controls, and also between different clinical subgroups of IIH patients.     

A case series of dural venous sinus stenting in idiopathic intracranial hypertension: association of outcomes with optical coherence tomography1

Purpose/Aim: Pseudotumor cerebri or idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is characterized by increased intracranial pressure of unknown etiology. A subset of patients has shown benefit from endovascular dural venous sinus stenting (DVSS). We sought to identify a population of IIH patients who underwent DVSS to assess outcomes. Materials and Methods: A retrospective study was performed to identify IIH patients with dural sinus stenosis treated with DVSS. Outcome measures included dural sinus pressure gradients, peripapillary retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness using optical coherence tomography and improvement in symptoms. Results: Seventeen patients underwent DVSS. Average pre- and post-intervention pressure gradients were 23.06 and 1.18 mmHg, respectively (p < 0.0001). Sixteen (94%) noted improvement in headache, fourteen (82%) had visual improvement and all (100%) patients had improved main symptom. Of 11 patients with optical coherence tomography, 8 showed decreased RNFL thickness and 3 remained stable; furthermore, these 11 patients had improved vision with improved papilledema in 8, lack of pre-existing papilledema in 2 and stable, mild edema in 1 patient. Conclusions: Our series of patients with dural sinus stenosis demonstrated improvement in vision and reduction in RNFL thickness. DVSS appears to be a useful treatment for IIH patients with dural sinus stenosis.     

Venous sinus stenting after repair of skull base spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leaks: A single-center retrospective cohort series with case-control analysis

BackgroundManagement of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is recommended after surgical repair of spontaneous cerebrospinal fluid leaks (sCSF-leaks) of the skull base for prevention of recurrence.PurposeTo assess the feasibility of venous sinus stenting, a treatment commonly used for the treatment of IIH associated with intracranial venous sinus stenosis (VSS), after sCSF-leaks closure.Materials and methodsA single-center cohort series of consecutive patients who underwent sCSF-leak closure was retrospectively analyzed. Stenting was considered either for leak recurrence or in prophylactic manner after repair in patients with VSS as confirmed by cerebral venous imaging. Leak recurrence, need for new repair or adjunctive treatment of IIH, meningitis, and stenting complications were determined at the last follow-up. Cases who had prophylactic stenting were compared to historical controls before stenting option.ResultsTwenty-two patients had intracranial venous stenting after sCSF-leak closure. Their median age was 58 years (Q1=45; Q3=68), BMI=31 kg.m^?2 (Q1=27; Q3=36), and female rate=85%. The overall rate of successful repair after stenting was 95% (95% CI = 87–100%) at a median follow-up of 2.4 years (Q1=1.2; Q3=3.3). Adjunctive treatment for IIH was needed in 4 patients (4/22, 18%) including 2 patients without leak recurrence. No meningitis, permanent morbidity or mortality was observed after stenting. Compared to 18 controls, cases had significantly less recurrence (P = 0.03), and a trend for less adjunctive treatment for IIH (P = 0.06).ConclusionsOur study suggests that stenting might be a valid option for prevention of sCSF-leak recurrences after repair in patients with intracranial venous sinus stenosis.     

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is not benign: a long-term outcome study

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) primarily affects young obese females, and potentially causes visual loss and severe headache. The aim of this experiment is to examine relapse rate and long-term outcome in IIH patients. The methods involved in this experiment include a prospective controlled study of 18 newly diagnosed IIH patients followed for a mean observation period of 21.1 (±8.0) months. Treatment regime included diuretics, dietary recommendations and check-up visits at a dietician. Baseline and follow-up included neurological examination, detailed headache history and comprehensive neuro-ophthalmological examination, including fundus photography, Humphrey visual fields, and measurement of the retinal thickness (RT) and retinal nerve fiber layers (RNFL) by optical coherence tomography (OCT). Relapse was defined as recurrence of either: (1) papilledema or (2) symptoms and demonstrated raised ICP. The result of this experiment is that relapse was found in 28%. Visual function improved from baseline to follow-up and was generally favorable. In patients without relapse of papilledema RT and RNFL were significantly thinner than in healthy controls (p = 0.003 and 0.02), although atrophy was clinically detectable in only one patient. Headache was still present in 67% of the patients at follow-up. Headache was heterogenic and unrelated to relapse. After an initial reduction, weight increased again in the relapse group compared to reduced weight in the non-relapse group (p = 0.013). Thus, the conclusions drawn are that headache was persistent, difficult to classify, and equally represented in relapse and non-relapse patients. Headache was thus a poor marker of active disease. Relapse rate was high and clinically undetectable optic disc atrophy was discovered in apparently well treated IIH patients.     

Cerebrovascular and cardiovascular responses associated with orthostatic intolerance and tachycardia

Idiopathic orthostatic intolerance syndrome is characterized by postural symptoms of cerebral hypoperfusion without arterial hypotension. Abnormal baroreceptor responses with deranged cerebral autoregulation leading to cerebral vasoconstriction have been proposed as a causative mechanism. The authors report the cerebrovascular and cardiovascular responses in a patient who recovered from orthostatic intolerance and tachycardia. Changes in the orthostatic responses of mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), cardiac output (CO), and transcranial Doppler middle cerebral artery (MCA) mean blood flow velocity (V_mean) were assessed at admission and again 6 months after recovery. Normal cardiovascular responses to forced breathing and to standing indicated intact overall baroreflex integrity with normal baroreflex sensitivity (10.2 msec·mm Hg⁻¹). After the patient stood for 8 minutes, presyncopal symptoms developed, with unchanged MAP but increased HR (+41 beats/min) and reduced stroke volume (SV) (−69%), CO (−50%), and MCA V_mean (−46%; 57 to 31 cm·s⁻¹). After a reconditioning program and recovery, the patient was reexamined. The supine MCA V_mean was larger (79 cm·s⁻¹), as were MAP (76 versus 70 mm Hg) and CO (+15%). The orthostatic HR increase was smaller (+5 beats/min), as was the reduction in SV (−44%) and CO (−30%), with an increase in MAP to 93 mm Hg. The orthostatic reduction in MCA V_mean was smaller (−13 versus −26 cm·s⁻¹) and standing cerebrovascular resistance decreased (1.41 versus 2.39 mm Hg·cm·s⁻¹). In this patient who had intact baroreflex control and no postural decrease in blood pressure, the reduction in MCA V_mean, concomitant with a large decrease in CO, seemed reversible. The result suggests that a symptomatic reduction in cerebrovascular conductance during standing is to be interpreted as being an adaptive response to a critically limited systemic blood flow, rather than to derangement of cerebral autoregulation.     

单侧视神经鞘开窗术治疗特发性颅内压增高的疗效分析

目的 探讨单侧视神经鞘开窗术（ONSF）治疗特发性颅内压增高（IIH）的临床疗效。方法 回顾性分析2016年6月至2021年3月接受单侧ONSF治疗的10例IIH的临床资料。观察指标为术后1周、2周、1个月、3个月、6个月视力（VA）、平均视野偏差（PMD）、视神经乳头水肿等级、视神经乳头隆起（maxONHE）、黄斑区神经节细胞体积（GCLvol）。结果 术后6个月,双侧VA、PMD、视神经乳头水肿等级和maxOHNE均明显改善（P<0.05）,但两侧之间无统计学差异（P>0.05）。从诊断到手术时间与术后6个月PMD改善程度呈显著负相关（r=-0.783,P=0.0016）。基线颅内压与GCLvol变化呈明显负相关（r=-0.792,P=0.0011）,与术后6个月PMD改善程度呈明显负相关（r=-0.519,P=0.041）。结论 单侧ONSF是一种安全有效地治疗急性视力低下的IIH的方法,视神经乳头隆起及PMD是评估ONSF疗效的指标。     

Comparison of different MR venography techniques for detecting transverse sinus stenosis in idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Cerebral venous outflow abnormalities, as transverse sinuses (TSs) stenosis,may underlie a picture of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). To identify the best non-invasive MR venography (MRV) technique for exploring the disturbance of flow of TSs in IIH patients, we compared three dimensional phase contrast (3-DPC) MRV images, acquired with different velocity encodings (15 and 40 cm/s) with two-dimensional time-of-flight (2D-TOF) MR images in 6 subjects with IIH and 12 age-matched normal controls. In both groups, we also measured flow velocity in TSs by using single slice 2D-CINE PC acquisitions. In all subjects with IIH, 3D-PC showed marked flow disturbance in the mid-lateral portion of both TSs when velocity encoding (VENC) was set to 15 cm/s while only a slightly irregular flow in TSs was detected when VENC was set to 40 cm/s or when 2D-TOF was used. By contrast, 3D-PC (VENC 15 and 40) and 2D-TOF techniques were comparable in detecting TS signal flow in normal controls. Measures of flow velocity, by using 2D-CINE PC, revealed a three-fold increase of velocity at the level of the flow disturbance in IIH patients compared to normal controls (p<0.0001), suggesting a marked stenosis of mid-lateral portion of TSs in these patients. Setting the VENC to 15 cm/s on 3D-PC MRV may represent the best technical approach for visualizing disturbances of flow in TSs in subjects with symptoms suggestive of IIH.     

New frontiers in venous sinus stenting: Illustrative cases

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) occurs rarely, with severe patients recalcitrant to pharmacologic management often requiring cerebrospinal fluid diversion. We report two patients with variant IIH successfully treated with venous sinus stenting: 1) A 65-year-old man with severe vision loss, papilledema, and cognitive decline treated with four telescoped stents across a long, severely stenotic transverse-sigmoid system, and 2) a 58-year-old woman with headaches, vision loss, and papilledema secondary to a jugular paraganglioma causing severe jugular bulb stenosis that required contralateral venous sinus stenting. At 3-month and 1-month follow-up, respectively, ophthalmologic examinations showed vision improvement. The first patient also had improved cognition, and the second patient also had improved headaches.     

Visual evoked potentials follow-up in idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Objectives:To demonstrate the importance of visual evoked potential (VEP) in determining the severity and prognosis of the disease and in monitoring the clinical course in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH).Methods:This is a prospective cross-sectional study conducted covering the period between March 2014 and January 2015. The study included 32 patients recently diagnosed with IIH and 30 healthy volunteers. The initial VEP values of the IIH patients were compared to the VEP values of the healthy control group. Furthermore, the initial VEP values of the IIH patients were compared with their VEP values after one month of treatment.Results:The mean age of the IIH patients was 37.8±12.02 years. Of the IIH patients, 27 (84%) were females and 5 (16%) were males. There was a statistically significant association of the initial VEP values with the visual field findings (p=0.011) and visual acuity (p=0.040). Moreover, a statistically significant difference was found between the control group and IIH patients in terms of right (p<0.001) and left P100 values (p<0.001). While 18 (56%) of the initial VEPs of IIH patients were pathological, 14 (44%) of the second VEPs were pathological, and this difference was not statistically significant (p=0.125).Conclusion:A relationship between the VEP P100 values and the severity of the disease was detected, while the importance of monitoring VEP values in the follow-up of IIH patients was not demonstrated.

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension can be defined as raised intracranial pressure with a normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).1,2 The overall incidence of IIH is 2.4/100,000; however, the incidence is 22/100,000 in obese women.3 Indeed, the female gender and a high body mass index (BMI) are important risk factors for the disease and female patients account for 90% of the cases.4,5The visual field is commonly affected in IIH patients.6 Although the visual field is currently the most sensitive method to monitor visual disturbances during the course of the disease, its specificity and sensitivity is not 100%.6,7 However, an early diagnosis, determination of the disease severity, and follow-up of the patients with IIH are critical as IIH can cause serious and irreversible visual field defects and even vision loss during the course of the disease.7-9The number of patients with IIH is on the rise globally as the number of patients with obesity increases day by day.10 There is a paucity of precisely sensitive and objective indicators of the disease for monitoring relapses and remission.11,12 Moreover, no sensitive and objective methods have been established yet to determine the disease severity in order to decide whether surgery should be performed in these patients.12-14Despite the potential of IIH to cause visual morbidity, only a limited number of studies are available in the literature to predict the potential impact of IIH on the vision.13 The findings obtained by VEP reflect the functions of the visual pathways extending from the retina to the occipital cortex. The test is particularly sensitive to demonstrate conduction disturbances in the anterior (pre-chiasmatic) visual pathway.15,16 A few studies have shown abnormal findings in VEP tests in patients with IIH, indicating the importance of VEP in the evaluation of the visual functions.17 In the literature, we found only one study evaluating the value of VEP values in the follow-up of patients with IIH.17This study aimed to demonstrate the importance of VEP testing in determining the severity and prognosis of the disease and in monitoring the clinical course of the patients with IIH as the number of studies evaluating this subject is limited in the literature.     

Does post dural puncture headache exist in idiopathic intracranial hypertension? A pilot study

Background/ObjectiveOccurrence of post-dural puncture headache (PDPH) after diagnostic lumbar puncture (LP) for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) may seem very unlikely in clinical practice. Nevertheless, it has been suggested by several studies, mainly in sub-group analyses. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of PDPH in an IIH population and determine any eventual predictive factors of PDPH occurrence.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective multiple-center observational study. All newly diagnosed IIH patients who met the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3) or the Dandy modified criteria were included from three different French hospitals. They all underwent LP following the same process with the same type of needle. We recorded PDPH occurring within five days after LP, as defined by ICHD-3 criteria.ResultsSeventy-four IIH patients were recruited, of whom 23 (31%) presented with PDPH. Neither classical risk factors for PDPH such as body mass index, age or gender, nor cerebrospinal fluid opening pressure, or specific IIH features were associated with occurrence of PDPH.ConclusionPDPH can occur after LP in IIH patients. Clinicians should be aware of this possible event during the IIH diagnosis assessment and should not automatically reconsider IIH diagnosis. PDPH prevention using an atraumatic needle and dedicated PDPH treatment seem relevant in IIH patients.     

Emotionally evoked changes in cerebral hemodynamics measured by transcranial Doppler sonography

The cerebral representation of emotions has previously been investigated by the study of patients with local brain damage, experiments with selective stimulation of only one hemisphere, and more recently by imaging techniques such as positron-emission tomography or magnetic resonance imaging measuring local cerebral blood flow. We investigated the mean flow velocity (FV_mean) in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) by transcranial Doppler sonography during emotional stimulation with video scenes in 24 healthy test persons. The videos consisted of an erotic scene and a violent scene shown in contrast to a calming scene. Blood pressure, heart rate, and breathing frequency were monitored continuously by noninvasive measurement. FV_mean increased during the erotic scene to 108.5 ± 11.9% (P < 0.05) of the baseline value in the right MCA and to 109.0 ± 10.6% (n.s.) in the left MCA. During the violent scene FV_mean reached 109.0 ± 8.7% (P < 0.05) on the right side and 108.1 ± 13.0% (n.s.) on the left side. The FV_mean time course showed a close relationship to the video sequence. During scenes involving great tension FV_mean showed a plateaulike state and peaked during sudden actions. Blood pressure, heart rate, and respiratory rate showed no significant changes. However, we observed a tendency towards lower heart rates (lowest value 94.5 ± 13.6%) during the erotic scene and two peaks (103.2 ± 13.3%, 104.8 ± 16.8%) coinciding with sudden violent actions. The significant increase in FV_mean in the right MCA supports the theory of a right hemisphere dominance for the processing of emotions. Received: 12 March 1998 Received in revised form: 13 July 1998 Accepted: 24 July 1998