Management of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: Experience of a North African Center

Abstract

Background The idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is characterized by elevation of intracranial pressure (ICP) in the absence of intracerebral space occupation or venous sinus thrombosis. It usually occurs in obese young women but is very rare in childhood. Materials and Methods We conducted a retrospective study in the neurosurgical department of Bab El Oued teaching hospital of Algiers over a period of 8 years from January 2008 to December 2015. We analyzed clinical data of 10 patients with IIH diagnosis, and the surgical technique consisted of an insertion of a lumbo-peritoneal shunt. Results In our study, 80% were women with sex ratio M/F of 0.25; the mean age was 32 years and 60% of our patients were obese. For most of our patients, the postoperative outcome was marked by the disappearance of the headache immediately, disappearance of strabismus and diplopia in the following week, followed by improvement of visual function. Conclusion The IIH is predominantly a disease of women in the childbearing age; surgical treatment is a good option for patients who resisted medication or did not tolerate it as well as for ICH fulminous in emergency cases.

Secondary headache disorders in Turkey, the Middle East, Asia, and Africa: A cross-sectional, multicenter study

“…A study in North India found a higher frequency of IIH in patients with chronic daily headache compared with Western populations (30). The mean age at diagnosis was 43.32 AE 12.38 years, whereas previous population-based studies reported an age range of 23 to 36 years for IIH (31)(32)(33). The mean age at diagnosis in Turkey was higher than reported, although some patients were admitted for follow-up visits.…”