Surgical and endovascular interventions in idiopathic intracranial hypertension

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a potentially blinding disease and may require surgical management when maximal medical treatment has failed. The purpose of this review is to discuss the current literature on surgical and endovascular treatments for IIH. RECENT FINDINGS: The most commonly performed surgical treatments for IIH are cerebrospinal fluid diversion procedures (e.g. ventriculo- and lumbo-peritoneal shunts) and optic nerve sheath fenestration. Controversy still exists about which is the preferred initial surgical treatment for IIH. Emerging procedures include venous sinus stenting in cases with venous sinus stenosis, and bariatric surgery for weight loss. Cranial (suboccipital or subtemporal) decompression was a more popular surgical procedure in the past, but can still have a role in selected cases with impaired cerebrospinal flow dynamics (e.g. Chiari malformation) or after multiple failed conventional surgical procedures. SUMMARY: This review compares and contrasts the surgical management options for IIH.