Magnetic resonance imaging in pseudotumor cerebri☆
Section snippets
Materials and methods
We retrospectively reviewed the charts of all patients with pseudotumor cerebri who were examined between 1990 and 1997. The diagnosis of pseudotumor cerebri was established according to the following modification of the Dandy criteria5: (1) signs and symptoms of elevated intracranial pressure (including papilledema); (2) elevated opening pressure on lumbar puncture without CSF ab normalities; (3) normal neurologic examination (except for sixth nerve palsy); and (4) absence of ventriculomegaly
Results
Ages of patients with pseudotumor cerebri ranged from 3 to 66 years, with 16 adults (15 women, 1 man) and 4 children (3 girls, 1 boy). The condition was idiopathic in all but one child who was treated with a tapering dose of oral corticosteroids for Crohn’s disease.
Neuroimaging abnormalities in patients with pseudotumor cerebri are summarized in Table 1. Sensitivity and specificity values for each sign were determined statistically using Fisher’s two-tail exact test. Except for intraocular
Discussion
Until recently, attempts to use neuroimaging to elucidate the pathophysiology of pseudotumor cerebri have focused primarily on detecting abnormalities in ventricular size and periventricular water content.2, 6, 7, 8 Although increased periventricular water content7, 8 and a higher white matter diffusion coefficient9, 10 can be shown by quantitative analysis of cranial MR images, grossly visible changes usually are absent. Except for the findings of empty sella11, 12 and variable diminution in
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Supported in part by a grant from Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc., New York, New York.