Multidisciplinary management of idiopathic intracranial hypertension in pregnancy: case series and narrative review

Abstract

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a neurological condition characterized by raised intracranial pressure of unknown etiology with normal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) composition and no brain lesions. It occurs in pregnant patients at approximately the same frequency as in general population, but obstetric and anesthetic management of the pregnancy and labor remains controversial. In this article we provide a multidisciplinary review of the main aspects of IIH in pregnancy including treatment options, mode of delivery and anesthetic techniques. Additionally, we report three cases of pregnant women diagnosed with IIH between 2012 and 2019 in our institution.

Keywords

• Idiopathic intracranial hypertension
• Pregnancy
• Cesarean section
• Labor analgesia
• Anesthesia