Abstract

1. Introduction: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a rare clinical condition in which an increase in intracranial pressure is seen without a lesion in the head. The association of IIH with haematological malignencies is not well known.
2. Case: We present 19-year-old male withfrequent episodes of headache that lasted up to 24 hours, localized to the bilateral temporal region accompanied with nausea and vomiting for two months. On the neurological exam, the lateral gaze was slightly restricted. Ophthalmological exam revealed bilateral papilledema, which was more pronounced on the right. Bilateral concentric constriction, more pronounced on the right , was observed on the computerized visual field exam. Brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) showed swelling in the optic nerve sheats, rather than on the right. In the analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), the opening pressure was 370 mmH₂O. Cytological examination of the CSF showed atypical lymphoid cells. The patient was diagnosed as precursor lymphoblastic leukemia/lymphoma.
3. Conclusion:Acute leukemia–induced clinical IIH has not been reported in the literature up to now, and the present case study will contribute to the literature in this regard. This phenomenon will be noteworthy for clinicians who encounter high CSF opening pressure, abnormal CSF biochemistry, and substantial cytology in cases presenting with clinical IIH.

Keywords

pseudotumor cerebri, acute leukemia, haematological malignancy, intracranial hypertension, headache