Clinical course of asymptomatic patients with papilledema from idiopathic intracranial hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is defined as elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) with normal cerebrospinal fluid content in the absence of an identifiable cause. Patients often experience symptoms related to elevated ICP (e.g., headache); however, a subgroup of patients with elevated ICP may have optic disc edema without any associated symptoms. There are limited data about this subgroup in the literature. Our aim in this study was to characterize the initial clinical findings and visual outcomes over the follow-up period in this group of asymptomatic patients. METHODS: We performed a retrospective review of all patients who were referred to the neuro-ophthalmology service at Baylor College of Medicine for evaluation of papilledema between January 2012 and June 2020. Medical records of 139 consecutive patients with papilledema were reviewed. Patients were included in the analysis if they met the criteria for the diagnosis of IIH, had bilateral optic disc edema, and did not have any symptoms of elevated ICP. RESULTS: Of the 139 charts reviewed, 5 patients met the inclusion criteria. All 5 patients were female with a mean age of 25.2 years (range, 13-48 years). The mean body mass index was 36.3 kg/m2 (range, 31.5-40 kg/m2), and the mean follow-up period was 3 years (range, 12 months-5 years). CONCLUSION: Our results demonstrate that the disease course for patients who present with asymptomatic IIH can be variable, yet still visually significant. Despite the absence of symptoms, patients can progress to symptomatic disease or experience persistent optic disc swelling or pallor even with the use of medication to lower ICP. To our knowledge, this is the first retrospective study characterizing the clinical course of papilledema from IIH in asymptomatic individuals.

Branch retinal artery occlusions after balloon sinuplasty due to formation of a traumatic pseudoaneurysm in the internal carotid artery and embolization treatment.

PURPOSE: To describe a case of multifocal branch retinal artery occlusions due to a traumatic internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm and endovascular treatment after a balloon sphenoid sinuplasty procedure. OBSERVATIONS: A 62-year-old female with no significant past medical history underwent an elective outpatient balloon sinuplasty of the right frontal sinus and bilateral sphenoid sinuses. Shortly after the balloon sinuplasty device was inflated in the left sphenoid sinus, acute, severe, pulsatile bleeding was encountered from the posterior wall of the sinus. The patient underwent emergent catheter angiography and a traumatic pseudoaneurysm was noted in the left internal carotid artery that required endovascular embolization. After the procedures, the patient's visual acuity was 20/40 in the right eye and 20/200 in the left eye. The pupil exam revealed a left relative afferent pupillary defect. Visual field testing showed a central scotoma and an inferior nasal quadrant defect in the left eye. On fundus exam, there were multiple retinal emboli seen with ischemic retinal whitening in the left superior macular and superior temporal segments consistent with multifocal branch retinal artery occlusions in the left eye. CONCLUSIONS AND IMPORTANCE: The dilation of paranasal sinuses using a balloon instrument is a fairly new technique in the surgical management of chronic sinonasal inflammatory disease, and serious adverse effects have not been widely reported. To our knowledge, this is the first case of multifocal branch retinal artery occlusions due to a traumatic internal carotid artery pseudoaneurysm and endovascular treatment after balloon sinuplasty to be reported in the English language ophthalmic literature.

Fascicular Sixth Nerve Palsy as a Presenting Sign of Metastatic Ovarian Carcinoma.

ABSTRACT: The most common etiology of an isolated abducens nerve palsy in an older adult with vasculopathic risk factors is presumed microvascular ischemia. Because the diagnosis of microvascular ischemia in this setting would not alter patient management, there is debate as to whether further workup is warranted under these circumstances. In this report, we describe a fascicular sixth nerve palsy as the initial presenting sign of metastatic ovarian carcinoma, and we highlight the importance of considering additional workup in select cases of isolated abducens nerve palsies.