Optic Nerve Ultrasound Evaluation in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension

Maddalena De Bernardo; Livio Vitiello; Ilaria De Pascale; Luigi Capasso; Palmiro Cornetta; Nicola Rosa

doi:10.3389/fmed.2022.845554

Optic Nerve Ultrasound Evaluation in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension

Front Med (Lausanne). 2022 Mar 1:9:845554. doi: 10.3389/fmed.2022.845554. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Maddalena De Bernardo¹, Livio Vitiello¹, Ilaria De Pascale¹, Luigi Capasso², Palmiro Cornetta³, Nicola Rosa¹

Affiliations

¹ Eye Unit, Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry, "Scuola Medica Salernitana, " University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy.
² Corneal Transplant Unit, Azienda Sanitaria Locale Napoli 1, Naples, Italy.
³ Eye Unit, "Maria SS Addolorata" Hospital, Azienda Sanitaria Locale Salerno, Salerno, Italy.

Abstract

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a disease with a heterogeneity of possible causes, which needs to be quickly diagnosed. Ocular ultrasonography could be considered a useful tool to diagnose this condition in a fast and non-invasive way. In fact, Karl Ossoinig had already proposed this diagnostic tool in the 1970s for the evaluation of intracranial pressure changes under several pathological conditions, including idiopathic intracranial hypertension. The aim of this review is to analyze scientific articles published in the last 30 years concerning the use of ocular ultrasonography to assess optic nerve indices in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension. Specifically, 15 published articles found in PubMed database were included and analyzed in the present review. Our conclusion suggests that ocular ultrasonography is a reliable diagnostic technique to be utilized in all the cases of suspected raised intracranial pressure. To obtain the best possible accuracy and precision in the least invasive way, standardized A-scan seems to be the best choice.

Keywords: ONSD; idiopathic intracranial hypertension; optic nerve; optic nerve sheath diameter; ultrasonography.

Publication types

Review