Pseudotumor cerebri, sometimes called idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) or "false brain tumor", is a condition that involves the spaces around the brain and spinal cord. These areas are filled with cerebrospinal fluid to cushion and nourish the brain and spinal cord. Sometimes the pressure in these spaces increases. Pseudotumor cerebri or IIH refers to a pressure increase with no known cause.
Intracranial hypertension can also be caused by:
Common symptoms include headache, visual problems and eye pain.
Typically, the diagnosis is one of exclusion.
There are multiple treatment options such as medical management, lumbar punctures and shunts. Patients will usually undergo lumbar punctures while medical management is trialed and fine-tuned. Other treatments include: