Raised intracranial pressure of obscure cause: prospective clinical review on African Tanzanian patients
Matuja, W.B.; Rwiza, H.
Central African Journal of Medicine 37(11): 383-386
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0008-9176 PMID: 1806249 Document Number: 371830
This paper reports a clinical review of 13 patients with raised intracranial pressure of obscure cause seen over a six-year period. Patients were young in the 8 to 40 years age range. Female patients accounted for 54 pc. About half of the females had menstrual abnormalities. 15 pc were obese while the rest were normal or underweight. A previous long history of headache was present in patients with focal neurological signs. The main presenting symptoms were headache and reduction in visual acuity. Main signs were papilloedema and reduced visual Acuity. After a short term follow-up period of one to six years, (mean three years), the general outcome was good with recurrence in one patient. Headache and visual symptoms recovered early after treatment. Focal long tract signs recovered rather slowly. Twelve patients are at present free of symptoms. One died from mesenteric vessel thrombosis and was presumed to have pregnancy related sagittal sinus thrombophlebitis.