View clinical trials related to Pseudotumor Cerebri.
Filter by:The exact incidence of optic disc swelling and idiopathic intracranial hypertension in patients using antiacne medication is not known so far. The investigators hypothesize that swelling of retinal nerve fibre layer measured by optical coherence tomography is more frequent then assumed so far.
Increased Intracranial Hypertension (IIH), also known as Pseudotumor Cerebri, is defined by increased cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) pressure in the absence of intracranial, metabolic, toxic or hormonal causes of intracranial hypertension. It is characterized by headaches, tinnitus and visual loss, due to optic atrophy, in 50% of cases. Surgical treatments, such as CSF shunt placement and optic nerve sheath fenestration (ONSF), are indicated in case of failure or non-compliance (owing to side effects) of medical treatments (that mainly includes weight loss and drugs, such as Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors). However, these surgical treatments are limited by relative high complications and recurrence rate. Indeed, improvement in visual function after ONSF is often transient and the risk of complications, including visual loss, pupillary dysfunction, and vascular complications is up to 40%. With no better treatment option, intraventricular or lumbar shunt placement has become the traditional treatment for medically refractory IIH, despite poor results. Indeed, series of patients with IIH treated with shunt replacement report a complications rate (shunt occlusion, disconnection, infection or intracranial hematoma formation) around 50% and a failure rate up to 64% within 6 months. As a consequence, shunt revision is often required and efficacy of the technique to control the disease is questionable. The role of intracranial transverse sinus stenosis in IIH has recently gained a particular interest. Despite the fact that transverse sinus stenosis in IIH may be due to increased intracranial pressure, some authors believe that the rise in intracranial pressure and its effect are worsened by the secondary appearance of the venous sinus stenosis. To date, very few complications have been reported in IIH patients with venous sinus stent placement.
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a condition with an unknown cause or causes. The condition is associated with raised pressure in the brain and can cause disabling daily headaches and loss of sight, which can be permanent. The raised brain pressure squashes the nerves supplying the eye (also known as papilloedema) and this can affect vision. Over 90% of patients with IIH are overweight and weight loss is the most effective treatment. Other treatments for IIH have very little current evidence to support their use. Weight loss is difficult to maintain. This trial aims to compare two methods of weight loss, bariatric surgery and the most effective dietary programme commonly available, Weight Watchers, to see which offers the most effective sustainable treatment for IIH. Bariatric surgery is recommended by the NICE clinical guidelines for patients with a Body Mass Index (BMI) of over 40, or over 35 with a co-morbidity. Women suffering from IIH have a BMI on average around 38 and IIH is not recognised as a co-morbidity for bariatric surgery. This trial will recruit 64 women with IIH from Neurology and Ophthalmology clinics in UK NHS Trusts. They will be randomised and 32 participants will be allocated to the dietetic intervention arm, and be enrolled in their local Weight Watchers group. 32 participants will be allocated to the bariatric surgery arm, and will be referred to their local bariatric surgery pathway to receive bariatric surgery. Both groups of participants will be allocated to a treatment arm which is proven to bring about weight loss. Participants will then be followed up for five years, with the most important measurement being their brain pressure after one year of being in the trial. A further 20 obese women who don't suffer from IIH will be recruited to compare the baseline symptoms and biomarkers of those with IIH; they will take no further part in the study. 5 further healthy individuals will be scanned twice in an MRI test group to validate the MRI scan sequence to be used in the trial.
Assessing the safety and effectiveness of a 11-βhydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibitor (AZD4017), in a placebo controlled trial, in acute idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) IIH is a condition of young, overweight women with characteristic raised intracranial pressure (pressure around the brain) leading to papilloedema (swelling of the nerve supplying the eye), visual loss and headaches. Medical literature (Cochrane review) demonstrates there is little evidence for the treatments used for IIH. Weight control appears the most effective method of improving symptoms but weight loss is difficult to maintain. 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (11β-HSD1) is an enzyme which regulates local steroid levels and our previous research suggests it may influence the production of brain fluid(cerebrospinal fluid or CSF). 11β-HSD1 levels fall with weight loss and this is associated with with decreased intracranial pressure. Our primary outcome is to determine whether AZD4017, an inhibitor of 11β-HSD1, will reduce the pressure in the brain and as a consequence improve IIH. Patients are eligible to enter the study if they are between 18-55 years old with acute (<6 months) IIH, signs of active disease (papilloedema and raised CSF pressure (>25 cmH20)), no other major illnesses and have no plans for pregnancy during the study period. This is an MRC funded single centre, phase II, double-blinded, randomised control drug trial. It will be conducted at the University Hospital Birmingham and the University of Birmingham will act as Sponsor. Eligible participants will be randomly assigned to AZD4017 or a placebo ('dummy' with no active drug) for 3 months with a follow up a month later. Investigations during the study will include bloods, urine samples, pregnancy tests, lumbar punctures, DXA scans and small fat/skin biopsies. Participants will benefit from increased monitoring and a potential improvement in their condition. We hypothesise that specific inhibition of 11β-HSD1 will decrease intracranial pressure and consequently treat patients with IIH, thus opening a new and entirely novel therapeutic avenue.
This research is being done to determine the accuracy of two noninvasive methods of measuring the pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), also known as intracranial pressure or ICP.
Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) is a disease that affects mainly young people, and is associated with headache and loss of vision. The medical and surgical management of IIH is problematic and many patients are not treated effectively. Some cases of IIH are associated with severe stenosis of the large veins of the brain and various researchers have recently reported significant improvement in patients with IIH after the narrow veins of the brain were treated with a stent. Our project aims to evaluate the safety and long-term efficacy of venous sinus stenting in patients with severe IIH refractory to medical management.
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), also called pseudotumor cerebri, is a disorder of elevated intracranial pressure of unknown cause [Corbett, et al., 1982; Wall, et al., 1991]. Its incidence is 22.5 new cases each year per 100,000 overweight women of childbearing age, and is rising [Garrett, et al., 2004] in parallel with the obesity epidemic. It affects about 100,000 Americans. Most patients suffer debilitating headaches. Because of pressure on the optic nerve (papilledema), 86% have some degree of permanent visual loss and 10% develop severe visual loss [Wall, et al., 1991]. Interventions to prevent loss of sight, all with unproven efficacy, include diet, diuretics such as acetazolamide, repeated spinal taps, optic nerve sheath fenestration surgery, and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) shunting procedures. The purported goal of these therapies is to lower intracranial pressure; however, it is unclear which treatments work and by what mechanism. None of these strategies has been verified by properly designed clinical trials. Thus, there is confusion, uncertainty, and weak scientific rationales to guide treatment decisions. This trial will study subjects who have mild visual loss from IIH to (1) establish convincing, evidence-based treatment strategies for IIH to restore and protect vision, (2) follow subjects up to 4 years to observe the long-term treatment outcomes and (3) determine the cause of IIH. To meet those aims, the trial will be divided into a 12-month intervention phase and a 3-year observational phase. Subjects are not required to complete the observational phase of the study, but will be asked to do so and consented for the observational phase of the study at the conclusion of the intervention phase (12 months).
This study will examine whether the tendency to have thrombosis, or the formation of blood clots inside blood vessels, has a role in the development of pseudotumor cerebri (PTC). PTC causes symptoms and signs of isolated elevated blood pressure in the cranium, or covering of the brain. The disorder can lead to significant, negative effects on the visual system. Increased pressure of the cerebrospinal fluid, that is, fluid around the brain, is a factor, but the cause of the disorder is not clear. There has been documentation of clustering of PTC within families. It suggests that potential genetic polymorphisms-abilities to take on different forms-may become evident after exposure to conditions known to trigger PTC. Thrombosis comes about by interactions between genetic and environmental or acquired factors, or both, resulting in a blood clot at a specific time and location. Because the disease occurs in episodes, the interaction of the genetic and nongenetic risk factors is important. Cystinosis is a recessive disorder caused by deposits of cystine within the lysosomes of cells-that is, sac-like cell parts that contain various enzymes. Involvement of the kidneys remains the primary characteristic, eventually leading to renal failure. Of all of the risk factors that make it easier for blood clotting, a high level of a substance called homocysteine is of particular interest. Too much homocysteine in blood plasma is a common finding in patients with kidney failure, and it has been recently identified as an independent risk factor for diseases of the blood vessels. Participants of all ages who meet the Dandy criteria for PTC may be eligible for this study. Pregnant women will be excluded. There will also be a control group of nephropathic cystinosis patients who do not have PTC. Participants will be asked to undergo the following tests and procedures: - Medical history. - Physical examination, to evaluate the eye and nervous systems. - Collection of blood for DNA and other tests. - Collection of cerebrospinal fluid, through a procedure called lumbar puncture or spinal tap. The evaluation of patients will generally last 3 to 4 days. For the collection of cerebrospinal fluid, the patient's skin on the back will be numbed with a local anesthetic. A special needle will be inserted into the back, and a small amount of the fluid will be drawn through the needle. There will be pain for a minute, although there can be a headache lasting 24 hours. Also, there may be bruising, local pain, bleeding, or infection where the needle enters. Patients may also have a magnetic resonance imaging scan of their head. During the MRI scan, patients will lie still on a table that slides in and out of a metal cylinder surrounded by a strong magnetic field. Patients will be able to communicate with the MRI staff at all times and may ask to be moved out of the machine at any time.