Idiopathic intracranial hypertension: report of seven cases.

We describe seven patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), a disorder, mostly in young women, characterized by papilledema, elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure, normal CSF composition, and normal neuroradiologic studies. Obesity, the most consistent etiologic association, was present in two of our patients. Hypothalamic compression in IIH may induce increased appetite and result in weight gain. Use of trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole has been reported to be associated with IIH and was seen in one of our patients. IIH is an important diagnostic consideration in the differential diagnosis for a patient with headache, visual disturbances, and papilledema.