Background: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a syndrome of increased intracranial pressure without hydrocephalus or mass lesion, with normal CSF composition. Prothrombotic abnormalities have recently been implicated in the pathogenesis of IIH. Objective: To examine the strength of the association between the presence of prothrombotic abnormalities and IIH. Methods: Twenty patients presented by IIH and twenty five healthy persons matched for age and sex were enrolled as healthy controls. All patients were submitted to thorough history taking and neuro-ophthalmological examination. Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Magnetic Resonance Venography with contrast and lumbar puncture for CSF pressure measurement were done for all patients. Prothrombin Time, activated partial thromboplastin time, fibrinogen, antithrombin III, protein C, protein S and anticardiolipin antibodies IgM and IgG were compared to control group. Results: Protein C deficiency was significantly higher in patients than control group (p<0.001). Also a significantly higher level of anticardiolipin antibodies were found in patients versus controls (p<0.001). Conclusion: A possible relationship could exist between prothrombotic factors (especially protein C deficiency and anticardiolipin antibodies) and some patients with IIH. This supports the role of haemostatic derangements in the pathogenesis of IIH. So they could be used as markers in IIH and we should treat the hypercoagulable state as a predisposing factor in these patients to get improvement of IIH. [Egypt J Neurol Psychiat Neurosurg. 2010; 47(4): 579-585]
Key Words: Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, hypercoagulable state, protein C , protein S, anticardiolipin antibodies.
Correspondence to Mervat Hamed Abdelraouf Neuropsychiatry Dept., Alexandria University, Egypt.
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