Severe sudden visual loss caused by pseudotumor cerebri and lumboperitoneal shunt failure.
OBJECTIVE
Severe vistral acuity loss associated with pseudotumor cerebri is usually caused by chronic optic disk edema or a retinal abnormality.


METHODS
We treated a women, with known pseudotumor cerebri treated with a lumboperitoneal shunt, who developed acute pallied optic disk swelling and visual acuity of R.E.: no light perception and L.E.: 20/70 in association with lumboperitoneal shunt failure. There were no contributory retinal lesions.


RESULTS
The patient underwent optic nerve sheath fenestration and lumboperitoneal shunt revision. Visual acuity improved to 20/20 in both eyes. The papilledema resolved.


CONCLUSIONS
The severe sudden visual loss was attributed to axoplasmic stasis and optic nerve ischemia associated with a sudden rise in intracranial pressure.
Liu
G T
GT
Department of Neurology, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia 19104, USA. gliu@mail.med.upenn.edu
Volpe
N J
NJ
Schatz
N J
NJ
Galetta
S L
SL
Farrar
J T
JT
Raps
E C
EC
D000328:Adult; D001370:Axonal Transport; D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007427:Intracranial Pressure; D007511:Ischemia / Q000209:etiology; D008161:Lumbosacral Region; D009186:Myelin Sheath; D009900:Optic Nerve / Q000098:blood supply / Q000601:surgery; D010211:Papilledema / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D010529:Peritoneal Cavity; D011559:Pseudotumor Cerebri / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation; D014786:Vision Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D014792:Visual Acuity