title: Pseudotumor cerebri in two adolescents with acquired aplastic anemia.
abstract: A 13-year-old boy and a 16-year-old girl both presented with headaches and nausea after they were diagnosed with severe acquired aplastic anemia. Both patients had symptoms and signs consistent with the clinical syndrome of pseudotumor cerebri including headaches, nausea, papilledema, and elevated intracranial pressure. Both patients were treated with therapeutic lumbar puncture and acetazolamide, which relieved their symptoms. Acetazolamide dosage was given while the patients underwent an immunosuppressive regimen. We hypothesize that the pseudotumor cerebri in these two pediatric patients was the result of an increased production of cerebrospinal fluid in response to anemia and that the removal of fluid and treatment with acetazolamide appear to be helpful in such cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology-Oncology, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, 332 N. Lauderdale, Memphis, TN 38105-2794, USA. michael.jeng@stjude.org
authors.forename: Michael R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Jeng
authors.forename: Martha
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rieman
authors.forename: Manoo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bhakta
authors.forename: Kathleen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Helton
authors.forename: Winfred C
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000086:Acetazolamide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000293:Adolescent; D000741:Anemia, Aplastic / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002257:Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D011559:Pseudotumor Cerebri / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D002257:Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors; D000086:Acetazolamide