2. Females in the age group 15 to 44 years
Obese females esp. those with recent weight gain
Men in similar age group or slightly older also may be
affected. Incidence of sleep apnea is more in these
patients
3. Papilledema
Elevated intracranial pressure
No abnormalities in CSF
No space occupying lesions
No abnormalities in the brain parenchyma
No hydrocephalus
4. Sometimes
Empty sella
Flattening of posterior part of globe
Distension of perioptic subarachnoid space
Tortuous optic nerve
Transverse venous sinus stenosis
5. Venous abnormalities like
Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis
Arteriovenous fistula
Jugular vein obstruction – thrombosis or ligation
Defective absorption of CSF
Hypercoagulable state
Superior vena cava thrombosis
6. Tetracycline, doxycycline, minocycline
Growth hormone – it increases the level of insulin like
growth factor which increases CSF secretion
Steroid withdrawal – more in children
Lithium
7. Hypervitaminosis – more in children on all-trans retinoic
acid treatment
Females who are on treatment for acne with tetracycline
and isotretinoin may be affected
8. Middle ear or mastoid infection – contiguous infection
causing vessel wall infection and thrombophlebitis
Sleep apnea
Anemia - ? Due to hypoxia leading on to increased
capillary permeability or abnormalities in hemodynamics
due to high flow
Renal failure, uremia
9. Down syndrome
Turner syndrome
Addison’s disease
Hypoparathyroidism
Systemic lupus erythymatosis
Also increased right heart pressure
Respiratory diseases – hypercapnea induced cerebral
vasodilatation
10. ? Due to decreased CSF absorption
? Elevated intra abdominal pressure due to obesity
leading on to increased pleural pressure and cardiac
filling pressure. This can cause intra cranial venous
pressure and increased intra cranial tension
Narrowing of transverse sinus
12. Visual loss – insidious, peripheral field loss
Rarely acute loss due optic nerve ischemia or retinal
artery occlusion
Functional visual loss
Fields – enlargement of blind spot and loss due to nerve
fiber bundle defects
13. Stage 1- normal optic disc
Stage 2- C shaped halo on the nasal side with normal
temporal side
Stage 2- halo all round. Optic cup will not be obliterated
Stage 3- Partial obscuration of one or more segments of
blood vessels at the disc margin
14. Stage 4- Almost complete obscuration of major blood
vessels on the disc
Stage 5- partial or total obscuration of blood vessels on
the surface of optic disc
15. CT and MRI must be done to rule out other causes for
papilledema
Empty sella, arachnoid membrane herniating in to the
pituitary fossa
Dilated tortuous optic nerve
Elevation of optic disc head
Slit like ventricles
16. Lumbar puncture is done to assess the intra cranial
pressure
CSF analysis will be normal
17. No visual loss- treatment of headache with analgesics
Anti depressants, reduction of weight and acetazolamide
if needed
Mild loss- Acetazolamide, furosimide, weight reduction.
Topiramate is also given as it has acetazolamide like
action along with reduction in appetite
18. If the headache is very severe
Medical decompression with mannitol
If still intractable – surgical decompression with
craniotomy
19. Intra venous steroids and acetazolamide
Lumbo peritonial shunt or ventriculo peritonial shunt
Optic nerve sheath decompression. This is now a days
done from the medial side, either trans conjunctivally or
through medial end of lid crease to avoid damage to
posterior choroidal artery. That will cause ischemia of
macula and severe visual loss