Idiopathic intracranial hypertension in males

Abstract

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a neurological condition characterized by increased intracranial pressure without an underlying intracranial pathology. This condition is rarely encountered in men and it predominantly affects obese women of childbearing age. We present an interesting case of IIH in a male patient who presented with acute severe vision loss over 2 weeks and was successfully treated via surgery. Although IIH is less common in men than in women, men are more likely to develop vision loss, which is usually severe and less likely to respond to medical treatment. Therefore, surgical intervention might be considered early in the treatment of men with rapidly progressive visual loss. Further prospective studies are needed to evaluate the role of early surgical intervention in comparison to medical treatment in this group of patients.