Endoscopic endonasal management of pseudotumor cerebri: Is it effective?

Purpose: To study the efficacy and safety of endoscopic endonasal optic nerve fenestration for the management of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). Design: A prospective study at a tertiary care center. Patients and Methods: All patients with a final diagnosis of IIH from July 2001 to March 2005 were included and subjected to detailed neuro-ophthalmologic examination and endoscopic endonasal optic nerve fenestration. Postoperative visual acuity and the perimetry was compared with the preoperative status, and the results were analyzed using the chi(2) test. Results: Of the 18 patients included in the study, 17 had improvement in vision postoperatively. Fifteen patients had visual deterioration in the other eye as well, and of these, 12 had improvement, obviating the need for surgery on the other side. Complications were minimal and in the form of synechiae in two of the cases. Discussion: A number of procedures have been described for the management of this entity, and each is associated with a significant morbidity; therefore, there was a need for a minimally invasive procedure. The procedure adopted in the series is minimally invasive and is associated with a 94.5% success rate and minimal morbidity. Conclusions: Endoscopic endonasal optic nerve fenestration is a safe, minimally invasive, and extremely effective procedure for the management of IIH.