title: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension in a child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
abstract: Duchenne muscular dystrophy is an X-linked, recessively inherited disorder characterized by progressive weakness attributable to the absence of dystrophin expression in muscle. In multiple studies, the chronic administration of corticosteroids slowed the loss of ambulation that develops in mid to late childhood. Corticosteroids, however, frequently produce unacceptable side effects, including Cushingoid appearance and weight gain. Deflazacort, an oxazoline analogue of prednisolone, produces equivalent benefits on muscle with fewer reported Cushingoid side effects. We present a 9-year-old boy with Duchenne muscular dystrophy who developed morbid obesity and subsequent idiopathic intracranial hypertension after 2 years of receiving deflazacort. Although deflazacort is typically thought to produce less obesity than prednisone, severe Cushingoid side effects may occur in some individuals. To our knowledge, this description is the first of idiopathic intracranial hypertension complicating chronic corticosteroid treatment of Duchenne muscular dystrophy.
authors: Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 27599-7025, USA.
authors: Spencer G
authors: SG
authors: Weig
authors: Matthias M
authors: MM
authors: Zinn
authors: James F
authors: JF
authors: Howard
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020388:Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne / Q000150:complications*; D009767:Obesity, Morbid / Q000209:etiology; D011559:Pseudotumor Cerebri / Q000209:etiology*