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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staff
Eye exams
If pseudotumor cerebri is suspected, a doctor specializing in eye disorders will look for a distinctive type of swelling — called papilledema — in the back of your eye. You will also undergo a visual fields test to see if there are any blind spots in your vision besides your so-called normal blind spot in each eye where the optic nerve enters the retina.
Brain imaging
CT or MRI scans can rule out other problems that can cause similar symptoms, such as brain tumors and blood clots.
Spinal tap (lumbar puncture)
A lumbar puncture — which involves inserting a needle between two vertebrae in your lower back — can determine how high the pressure is inside your skull.
- Lee AG, et al. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri): Clinical features and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 29, 2010.
- Lee AG, et al. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri): Prognosis and treatment. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 29, 2010.
- Lee AG, et al. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri): Epidemiology and pathogenesis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Sept. 29, 2010.
- NINDS pseudotumor cerebri information page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/pseudotumorcerebri/pseudotumorcerebri.htm. Accessed Sept. 30, 2010.
- Dhungana S, et al. Review article: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica. 2010;23:71
- Uretsky S. Surgical interventions for idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Current Opinion in Ophthalmology. 2009;20:451.
- Neurological diagnostic tests and procedures. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/misc/diagnostic_tests.htm. Accessed Sept. 30, 2010.
- Papilledema. The Merck Manuals: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec09/ch107/ch107e.html. Accessed Oct. 1, 2010.
- Sinclair AJ, et al. Low energy diet and intracranial pressure in women with idiopathic intracranial hypertension: Prospective cohort study. British Medical Journal. 2010;340:2701.
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