Hipertensión intracraneal idiopática asociada a nitrofurantoína. Caso clínico

Abstract

Introduction: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a syndrome characterized by increased intracranial pressure without a space occupying lesion or hydrocephalus. The symptoms are headache, pulsatile tinnitus, transient visual obscurations, and visual loss. Signs are diplopia caused by sixth cranial nerve paresis and papilledema with its associated loss of sensory visual function. The patient maintains an alert and oriented mental state, but has no localizing neurologic findings. The only major morbidity with IIH is visual loss. The association between IIH and nitrofurantoin was reported in 1974. Case: A 42 years old female, overweighed, who developed IIH 18 months after the start of prophylactic nitrofurantoin. She had frontal oppressive headache that increased with the Valsalva maneuver, fluctuant visual loss and transient visual obscurations. She had bilateral papilledema without localizing neurologic findings. The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure was 25.5 cm H2O. Magnetic resonance imaging showed signs of increased CSF pressure without structural lesions or hydrocephalus. IIH recovered with the withdrawal of nitrofurantoin and the use of topiramate. There was not permanent visual loss. Conclusions: It is recommendable to suspect IIH in obese women in the childbearing years. There are several drugs associated with IIH including nitrofurantoin. The main objective of treatment is to prevent visual loss.