What is IIH
Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) is a neurological condition defined by increased intracranial
pressure around the brain without the presence of tumour or disease. IIH is also known by its earlier name:
Benign Intracranial Hypertension (BIH) is little used because the condition can cause visual loss and therefore
is not harmless or benign. You may also occasionally see it referred to as Pseudotumor Cerebri (PTC)
because some sufferers present with signs and symptoms of a brain tumour despite no tumour being present,
('pseudo' meaning false).
The space around the brain is filled with a water–like fluid (Cerebrospinal Fluid). If due to a variety of factors
the pressure around the brain rises then the space containing the fluid cannot expand. It is this excessively
high pressure–called hypertension–that produces the symptoms of IIH.
The cause of IIH is unknown – idiopathic means "of unknown cause". IIH is a rare condition and studies
suggest that it affects 1-2 people in every 100,000 people most of them women of childbearing age, but men
and children are also affected. Numbers in children are much lower.
Diagnosis of IIH is made by identifying clinical symptoms of the condition and ruling out others which can
cause similar symptoms. Neurological examination is usually reported as normal, with the exception of cases
where papilledema is present. Imaging procedures such as CAT/CT scans and MRI scans are also reported
as normal. Definitive diagnosis is made by performing a lumbar puncture which shows an above 'normal'
CSF pressure of 25cm/H20 or greater for both adults and children.

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