Pseudotumor patients face vision trouble, headaches, more

Story by: Norton Healthcare on December 29, 2016

Pseudotumor cerebri is a condition that occurs when pressure builds up inside the skull, typically with no obvious reason. The symptoms can resemble those of a brain tumor, even though no tumor is present. This condition also is known as benign intracranial hypertension.

The signs and symptoms of pseudotumor cerebri include:

• Moderate to severe headaches that start behind the eyes and get worse when moving the eyes
• Blurred or dimmed vision
• Brief episodes of blindness in one or both eyes, typically lasting only a few seconds
• Difficulty with peripheral vision (seeing to the side)
• Double vision
• Seeing light flashes
• Ringing in the ears
• Nausea, vomiting or dizziness
• Neck, shoulder or back pain

Shervin R. Dashti, M.D., Ph.D., co-director of the cerebrovascular and endovascular neurosurgery program at Norton Neuroscience Institute, is offering patients advanced treatment options, resulting in life-changing improvement in their ability to see clearly.

Those at greatest risk for pseudotumor cerebri are women between ages 20 and 40 who are overweight. Even though the exact cause of the condition is unknown in most cases, it may be linked to excess cerebrospinal fluid, the clear watery fluid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord.

Join Norton Healthcare for a Facebook Live chat Friday, Jan. 6, at 11 a.m. Dr. Dashti will discuss pseudotumor cerebri and provide a behind-the-scenes look at a recent neurosurgery procedure and the operating room.

Learn more about the nationally recognized team at Norton Neuroscience Institute here.