ABSTRACT
Objective:To study the role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in diagnostic evaluation of benign intracranial hypertension (BIH).Materials and methods:The present study was carried out in the Department of Radiodiagnosis, ESIC Medical College & Hospital, Faridabad. The study included twenty seven patients who were diagnosed with benign intracranial hypertension(BIH) based on modified Dandy's criteria.Results:Middle aged females were more commonly affected. Most common radiological findings were slit like frontal horns of lateral ventricles and empty sella, present in all of our patients. Findings involving optic nerve were present in 13 out of 27 (48%) of our patients, while 2 of 27 (7%) patients had spontaneous csf leak in presence of BIH. On manometry, CSF opening pressure[OP] was more than 25cm of H2O in all the patients.Conclusion:Slit like ventricles, empty sella, vertical kinking of optic nerve and distension of the perioptic subarachnoid space are important radiological markers of BIH that contribute to its diagnosis
ABSTRACT
Benign intracranial hypertension (BIH) is very rare and its cause is unclear. Raised intracranial pressure in the absence of an intracranial mass or hydrocephalus (BIH or pseudotumor cerebri) has been described in association with many conditions including SLE. Several pathogenic pathways tie BIH with SLE as thrombotic obliteration of cerebral arteriolar and venous systems and immune complex deposition within the arachnoid villi that are responsible for cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) absorption. The diagnosis of BIH was confirmed by increased intracranial pressure in the absence of any abnormal radiological findings of the brain. We report a young woman with SLE and autoimmune thrombocytopenia complicated by BIH which resolved with corticosteroid therapy and osmotic diuretics.