Being Diagnosed

Pseudotumor cerebri is a rare condition or better known as Idiopathic intracranial hypertension. There are several tests that conducted by medical professionals to determine this condition. After diagnosis, doctors have several different methods of treatment.

Pseudotumor Cerebri or PTC is a build-up of pressure in the brain with no obvious reason as to why. This condition can cause headaches, blurred vision, double vision, disorientation, loss of balance, blindness, and irritability. When pressure continues to increase it causes pressure on the optic nerves located in the back of the eyes called papilledema. This, in turn, creates vision difficulties. Before certain tests are performed doctors will ask a series of questions to determine the underlying condition of the symptoms.

Ophthalmologists, neurologists, and primary care providers will conduct tests to help determine the cause of such a condition. An MRI or CT scan will be performed on the head and sometimes a spinal tap or lumbar puncture will be performed. A spinal tap is a procedure, under local anesthetic, a licensed radiologist will use a needle that is placed between two vertebrae to extract, analyze, determine, and visualize the amount of fluid and/or pressure built-up. For example, the normal spinal fluid pressure is around 8-15 mm, increased pressure is considered anything higher than 20 mm. Another determination is seeing an Ophthalmologist, they will look into the back or your eyes to see if the optic nerves are under pressure or if they appear normal.

Once all tests have been performed, doctors will conclude the results, informing the patient of their findings. The diagnosis of Pseudotumor Cerebri has several treatment options; medications, procedures, and surgery. One of the most common medications prescribed for Pseudotumor Cerebri is Diamox. If the medications alone can’t improve symptoms then spinal taps or lumbar punctures on a regular basis will occur. However, if the medications and spinal taps aren’t improving the symptoms then a referral from a primary care provider will be made to see a neurosurgeon. The neurosurgeon will determine if the patient is a good candidate for a surgical procedure to help improve the symptoms and potentially, stop permanent vision loss.

Neurosurgeons use a shunt to help divert the fluid that is causing the increased pressure in the brain, this is called a Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt or VP shunt for short. Under anesthesia, the surgeon will make three incisions to place the shunt, tubing, and catheter. The shunt is placed in the ventricles of the brain, the pump or valve along the back of the neck near the ear. Followed by the tubing, which is fed under the skin to the catheter to be drained back into the body naturally. If the VP shunt fails, then more surgeries will follow to correct the problem further.

Pseudotumor Cerebri isn’t temporary, it is a rare, permanent condition, that affects 1 out of 100,000 people. This condition leads to permanent vision loss if left untreated. Currently, there is no cure for Pseudotumor Cerebri, only different treatment options to prevent the inevitable.



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