Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH)

This illustration shows bilateral venous sinus narrowing (red circles).
This illustration shows bilateral venous sinus narrowing (red circles).
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a condition characterized by high pressure in the fluid around the brain with no identifiable cause. Its alternate name of pseudotumor cerebri comes from its symptoms (including headache, blurred or double vision, ringing in the ears), which are similar to those of a brain tumor. But IIH is not a brain tumor — the presence of a tumor or other condition must be ruled out in order to make the diagnosis. 
For more information, visit our Pseudotumor Cerebri page

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Reviewed by: Srikanth Boddu, MD, MSc
Last reviewed/updated: September 2023
Illustrations by Thom Graves, CMI

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