Headache in an Obese Adolescent Male: A Nonclassical Presentation of an Uncommon Disease

• Published in: Global pediatric health Vol. 5; p. 2333794X18785550
• Main Authors: Zhou, Bill, Yim, Catherine, Chawla, Soni
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, CA SAGE Publications 2018; Sage Publications Ltd; SAGE Publishing
• Subjects: Intracranial pressure; Original; headache; pseudotumor cerebri; idiopathic intracranial hypertension; obesity
• ISSN: 2333-794X; 2333-794X
• DOI: 10.1177/2333794X18785550

Background. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), also known as pseudotumor cerebri, is a diagnosis of exclusion in the clinical scenario of increased intracranial pressure without an identifiable cause. This case report provides a brief review of current literature on IIH, important differential considerations to rule out prior to diagnosis, and relevant imaging findings of IIH. Case Presentation. An 18-year-old male presenting with headache and blurry vision was found to have signs of increased intracranial pressure on imaging without other abnormalities to explain the cause, suggesting IIH as a diagnosis. Conclusion. IIH is classically seen in overweight females of childbearing age but should be considered in all obese patients, including the pediatric population given the increasing rate of childhood obesity.