The incidence of idiopathic intracranial hypertension in Israel from 2005 to 2007: results of a nationwide survey.
OBJECTIVE
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), also known as pseudotumor cerebri, is a disorder related to increased intracranial pressure without clinical, laboratory or radiological evidence of an intracranial space occupying lesion or cerebral sinus vein thrombosis, predominantly affecting obese women of childbearing age. Our aim was to determine the incidence and clinical features of IIH in Israel.


METHODS
In a cross-sectional study, all medical records of patients discharged from the hospital with a primary diagnosis of IIH during 2005-2007 were reviewed.


RESULTS
Four hundred and twenty-eight patients with a new onset of IIH were diagnosed. The average annual incidence rate was 2.02 per 100,000 with an incidence of 3.17 per 100,000 for women and 0.85 per 100,000 for men. The incidence rate in females of childbearing age (18-45) was 5.49 per 100,000. The female to male ratio for >17 years old was 6.1:1 (252 females and 41 males) and 2.1:1 (60 females and 28 males) for ages 11-17. Obesity was documented in 83.4% of patients. Body mass index (BMI) data were available for 159 (37.1%) patients; of these, 59.1% had a BMI ≥ 30.


CONCLUSIONS
The incidence of IIH in Israel has increased during the last decade. This finding could be related to the increasing rates of obesity. The association of IIH and obesity should be further explored especially with regard to the effect of weight reduction for primary prevention.
Neuro-ophthalmology Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.|Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
A
A
Kesler
Neuro-ophthalmology Unit, Department of Ophthalmology, Tel-Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Tel Aviv, Israel.
N
N
Stolovic
Israel Center for Disease Control, Ministry of Health, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
Y
Y
Bluednikov
Israel Center for Disease Control, Ministry of Health, Tel Hashomer, Israel.|Department of Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
T
T
Shohat
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D015897:Comorbidity; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D019586:Intracranial Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology*; D007557:Israel / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology*; D012737:Sex Factors; D055815:Young Adult
Israel; idiopathic intracranial hypertension; incidence