Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Case Reports
. 2025 Apr 16;17(4):e82346.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.82346. eCollection 2025 Apr.

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension With Papilledema and Iron Deficiency Anemia in a 14-Year-Old Female Patient: A Case Report of First Presentation in the Middle East

Gunjan Awatramani  1 , Ruzaina Sait  1 , Ghazal Talal Saeed  1 , Sara Vidha  1 , Zainab Al-Abdullah  1 , Ghazaleh Ghaffaripour  2 , Mahmoud Marashi  3 , Pramod Warhekar  4
Affiliations
Case Reports

Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension With Papilledema and Iron Deficiency Anemia in a 14-Year-Old Female Patient: A Case Report of First Presentation in the Middle East

Gunjan Awatramani et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) in the setting of iron deficiency anemia (IDA) is a rare association, possibly attributed to changes in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) dynamics due to either iron homeostasis or blood hyperviscosity, although a definitive causal relationship continues to be speculated upon. This case report presents a rare instance of IDA causing IIH with accompanying papilledema in a 14-year-old female patient, who is a known case of polycystic ovarian syndrome. The patient presented to an outpatient clinic with tension-like headaches. Neurological examination, including fundoscopy, was significant for bilateral papilledema. Investigations revealed IDA. The patient was managed with acetazolamide and iron supplementation for her concurrent anemia. Despite initial management, her headaches persisted, and her papilledema progressed. Due to this progression, lumbar puncture was performed and confirmed elevated intracranial pressure (ICP). After completing an adjusted regimen of acetazolamide and iron supplementation, both the patient's symptoms and papilledema resolved and did not recur. This report encourages further research to support the potential connection of IDA with IIH and aid clinicians in promptly diagnosing and managing similar cases.

Keywords: anemia; benign intracranial hypertension; general ophthalmology; idiopathic intracranial hypertension (iih); iron deficiency anemia (ida); ophthalmology journal; pediatric neurology; pediatric ophthalmology & strabismus.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Human subjects: Consent for treatment and open access publication was obtained or waived by all participants in this study. Mediclinic City Hospital issued approval N/A. Case reports are exempt from IRB approval as per the IRB board at Mediclinic City Hospital, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Image representing thickness map report OD at presentation of patient. The average central optic disc thickness is 300-400 µm in healthy eyes. In this patient, the average central optic disc thickness is 640 µm suggesting severe swelling of the optic disc
OD: right eye
Figure 2
Figure 2. Image representing thickness map report OS at presentation of patient. In this image, the average central optic disc thickness is 538 µm suggesting severe swelling of the optic disc bilaterally
OS: left eye
Figure 3
Figure 3. Image representing thickness map report OD following treatment of patient with iron deficiency anemia
OD: right eye
Figure 4
Figure 4. Image representing thickness map report OS following treatment of patient with iron deficiency anemia
OS: left eye
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

References

    1. Incidence, prevalence, and health care outcomes in idiopathic intracranial hypertension: a population study. Miah L, Strafford H, Fonferko-Shadrach B, et al. https://doi.org/10.1212/wnl.0000000000011463. Neurology. 2021;96:0–61. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Navigating the enigma: a comprehensive review of idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Toshniwal SS, Kinkar J, Chadha Y, Khurana K, Reddy H, Kadam A, Acharya S. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.56256. Cureus. 2024;16:0. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Mondragon Mondragon, Jonathan Jonathan, and Victoria Klovenski. StatPearls Publishing. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022. Pseudotumor Cerebri.
    1. Idiopathic intracranial hypertension: update on diagnosis and management. Wakerley BR, Mollan SP, Sinclair AJ. https://doi.org/10.7861/clinmed.2020-0232. Clin Med (Lond) 2020;20:384–388. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Reviewing the recent developments in idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Virdee J, Larcombe S, Vijay V, Sinclair AJ, Dayan M, Mollan SP. Ophthalmol Ther. 2020;9:767–781. - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

LinkOut - more resources