Overdiagnosis of idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Conclusions:
Diagnostic errors resulted in overdiagnosis of IIH in 39.5% of patients referred for presumed IIH, and prompted unnecessary tests, invasive procedures, and missed diagnoses. The most common errors were inaccurate ophthalmoscopic examination in headache patients and thinking biases, reinforcing the need for rapid access to specialists with experience in diagnosing optic nerve disorders. Indeed, the high prevalence of primary benign headaches and obesity in young women often leads to costly and invasive evaluations for presumed IIH.

Source: Neurology - January 25, 2016 Category: Neurology Authors: Fisayo, A., Bruce, B. B., Newman, N. J., Biousse, V. Tags: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension, Clinical neurology history, Clinical neurology examination, Optic nerve ARTICLE Source Type: research