Transcranial Color-Coded Sonography for Monitoring Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension

Introduction

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a neurological condition characterized by signs and symptoms of raised intracranial pressure (ICP) without an identifiable cause. If not treated, it can have a poor prognosis because of severe headaches and progressive vision loss. Recently, transverse sinus (TS) stenosis has been associated with IIH and some authors have suggested a possible pathogenic role of reduced venous outflow in the development of IIH (Higgins JNP et al. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2004; 75: 621–625). The anatomy of the cerebral venous sinus is commonly assessed with magnetic resonance venography (MRV). Nevertheless, this technique is limited by the artifactual signal loss inside the transverse sinus due to in-plane flow and turbulence and cannot be performed in all subjects in the presence of contraindications.