eMedicine Specialties > Neurology > Pediatric Neurology

Pseudotumor Cerebri, Pediatric Perspective: Follow-up

Author: William C Robertson Jr, MD, Professor, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, and Family Practice, Clinical Title Series, University of Kentucky
Coauthor(s): Maria-Carmen B Wilson, MD, Medical Director of Pain Management, Department of Neurology, Tampa General Hospital; Associate Professor, Department of Neurology, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida College of Medicine; Matthew J Baker, MD, Consulting Staff, Collier Neurologic Specialists, Naples Community Hospital
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Dec 4, 2008

Follow-up

Further Outpatient Care

Neuro-ophthalmology follow-up with frequent assessment of visual fields is indicated.

Inpatient & Outpatient Medications

See Medication section.

Complications

As mentioned above, the most serious complication is permanent visual loss and blindness.

Prognosis

  • The natural history of pseudotumor cerebri in childhood is poorly understood.
  • Some children respond to initial lumbar puncture alone.
  • Visual loss can occur at any point in the disease and no reliable predictive factors are associated with this complication.

Patient Education

Patient and parental education as to the seriousness of permanent visual loss should be given. Early intervention in rapidly declining visual function is crucial to improve the long-term visual outcome.

 


More on Pseudotumor Cerebri, Pediatric Perspective

Overview: Pseudotumor Cerebri, Pediatric Perspective
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Pseudotumor Cerebri, Pediatric Perspective
Treatment & Medication: Pseudotumor Cerebri, Pediatric Perspective
Follow-up: Pseudotumor Cerebri, Pediatric Perspective
References
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Further Reading

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Keywords

benign intracranial hypertension, hypertensive meningeal hydrops, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, otitic hydrocephalus, serous meningitis, toxic hydrocephalus, PTC, pseudotumor cerebri

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

William C Robertson Jr, MD, Professor, Departments of Neurology, Pediatrics, and Family Practice, Clinical Title Series, University of Kentucky
William C Robertson Jr, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology and Child Neurology Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

Maria-Carmen B Wilson, MD, Medical Director of Pain Management, Department of Neurology, Tampa General Hospital; Associate Professor, Department of Neurology, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, University of South Florida College of Medicine
Maria-Carmen B Wilson, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology, American Pain Society, American Society of Neuroimaging, Florida Medical Association, and International Association for the Study of Pain
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Matthew J Baker, MD, Consulting Staff, Collier Neurologic Specialists, Naples Community Hospital
Matthew J Baker, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Raj D Sheth, MD, Professor of Neurology, Mayo College of Medicine; Chief, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Nemours Children's Clinic
Raj D Sheth, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Epilepsy Society, American Neurological Association, and Child Neurology Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Managing Editor

Kenneth J Mack, MD, PhD, Senior Associate Consultant, Department of Child and Adolescent Neurology, Mayo Clinic
Kenneth J Mack, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology, Child Neurology Society, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Neuroscience
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Selim R Benbadis, MD, Professor, Director of Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of South Florida School of Medicine, Tampa General Hospital
Selim R Benbadis, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, American Epilepsy Society, and American Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Amy Kao, MD, Assistant Professor, Department of Pediatrics, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Neurology, Oregon Health and Science University; Consulting Staff, Shriners Hospital for Children
Amy Kao, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology, American Academy of Pediatrics, American Epilepsy Society, and Child Neurology Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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