Review
Copyright ©The Author(s) 2024. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Radiol. Dec 28, 2024; 16(12): 722-748
Published online Dec 28, 2024. doi: 10.4329/wjr.v16.i12.722
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension: Imaging and clinical fundamentals
Nikolaos-Achilleas Arkoudis, Efstathia Davoutis, Manos Siderakis, Georgia Papagiannopoulou, Nikolaos Gouliopoulos, Ilianna Tsetsou, Evgenia Efthymiou, Ornella Moschovaki-Zeiger, Dimitrios Filippiadis, Georgios Velonakis
Nikolaos-Achilleas Arkoudis, Evgenia Efthymiou, Georgios Velonakis, Research Unit of Radiology and Medical Imaging, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 11528, Greece
Nikolaos-Achilleas Arkoudis, 2nd Department of Radiology, Attikon University General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Chaidari 12462, Greece
Efstathia Davoutis, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
Manos Siderakis, Department of Radiology, Agios Savas Anticancer Hospital, Athens 11522, Greece
Georgia Papagiannopoulou, 2nd Department of Neurology, Attikon University General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Chaidari 12462, Greece
Nikolaos Gouliopoulos, 2nd Department of Ophthalmology, “Attikon” University Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Chaidari 12462, Greece
Ilianna Tsetsou, Department of Imaging and Interventional Radiology, “Sotiria” General and Chest Diseases Hospital of Athens, Athens 11527, Greece
Evgenia Efthymiou, Ornella Moschovaki-Zeiger, Dimitrios Filippiadis, Georgios Velonakis, 2nd Department of Radiology, Attikon University General Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Chaidari 12462, Greece
Author contributions: Arkoudis NA assisted with visualization, extracting and preparing the figures, reviewing, and editing; Arkoudis NA, Davoutis E, Siderakis M, Papagiannopoulou G, Gouliopoulos N, Tsetsou I, Efthymiou E, and Moschovaki-Zeiger O assisted with writing the original draft; Arkoudis NA, Filippiadis D, and Velonakis G assisted with supervising the manuscript’s preparation; Arkoudis NA and Velonakis G assisted with conceptualization. All authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Nikolaos-Achilleas Arkoudis, MD, PhD, Research Unit of Radiology and Medical Imaging, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 19 Papadiamantopoulou, Athens 11528, Greece. nick.arkoudis@gmail.com
Received: July 27, 2024
Revised: November 15, 2024
Accepted: December 11, 2024
Published online: December 28, 2024
Processing time: 152 Days and 18.3 Hours
Abstract

Neuroimaging is a paramount element for the diagnosis of idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a condition characterized by signs and symptoms of raised intracranial pressure without the identification of a mass or hydrocephalus being recognized. The primary purpose of this review is to deliver an overview of the spectrum and the specific role of the various imaging findings associated with the condition while providing imaging examples and educational concepts. Clinical perspectives and insights into the disease, including treatment options, will also be discussed.

Keywords: Intracranial; Hypertension; Pseudotumor cerebri; Radiology; Neurology; Neuroimaging; STOP; Acronym; Imaging; Neuroradiology

Core Tip: Neuroimaging plays a crucial role in diagnosing idiopathic intracranial hypertension. This review provides a comprehensive synopsis of the various imaging findings associated with the disease, highlighting their diagnostic significance. Illustrative examples of neuroimaging findings, educational concepts and mnemonic tools are provided. Clinical perspectives, including treatment options and management strategies will also be discussed.