Pseudotumor cerebri

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Central nervous system

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Pseudotumor cerebri

• Headache
• Buzzing sound in the ears (tinnitus)
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Double vision (diplopia)
• Parial or permanent loss of vision. Patients often complain of blurred vision.
• Symptoms may get worse during physical activity, especially with the contraction of abdominal muscles.

Papilledema -- swelling of a small region in the back of the eye -- is an important sign of pseudotumor cerebri. Other signs include an increased head size and bulging anterior fontanelle (only in babies in which the cranial sutures are not yet closed.)

Despite the increased pressure in the skull, there is no altered consciousness.

Tests that help with diagnosis include:

• A CT Scan and MRI (will not show tumor)
• A lumbar puncture, or spinal tap (usually confirms an elevated intracranial pressure)
• Formal visual field testing (detects early vision loss)

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