Imaging and interventions in idiopathic intracranial hypertension: A pictorial essay

Abstract

Intracranial hypertension is a syndrome of elevated intracranial pressure that can be primary or secondary. The primary form, now termed idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), was in the past a disease of exclusion and imaging played a limited role of excluding organic causes of raised intracranial pressure. However imaging markers have been described with patients with IIH at the orbit, sella and cerebral venous system. We wish to reiterate the characteristic imaging features of this poorly understood disease and also emphasise that stenting of the transverse sinus in select cases of IIH is an efficacious option.

Keywords

• cerebrospinal fluid
• cranial venous outflow obstruction
• idiopathic intracranial hypertension
• intracranial pressure
• mr venography
• optic nerve sheath
• optic nerve sheath diameter
• pseudotumor cerebri
• short tau inversion recovery
• superior sagittal sinus
• transverse sinuses
• transverse sinus stenosis (tss)