Abstract
Pseudotumor cerebri syndrome (PTCS) is a condition of unclear etiology, characterized
by increased intracranial pressure (ICP) with normal cerebrospinal fluid contents
and no associated anomalies evident in the brain parenchyma. It may be associated
with concomitant risk factors, including obesity, endocrine disorders, chronic medical
illness, and medications. Clinical signs and symptoms of PTCS in children are heterogeneous,
but they usually include headache, papilledema at the funduscopic examination, and
visual disturbances (e.g., diplopia and/or vision loss). Irreversible blindness, due
to persistently raised ICP, has been also reported in up to 10% of cases. Treatment
goal of PTCS is the relief of symptoms and the preservation of visual function, by
reducing ICP. Diuretics (e.g., acetazolamide, furosemide) could be regarded as the
first-line treatments in PTCS; however, up to 30% of patients do not have a clinical
response, making important the identification of alternative (conservative) treatment's
choices to avoid the PTCS-related complications (e.g., permanent visual loss) and
the necessity of invasive surgical (cerebrospinal fluid diverting) procedures. In
this context, octreotide (i.e., a synthetic somatostatin analog) has been previously
proposed in some studies as a potential (etiologically targeted) treatment able to
revert to PTCS-related manifestations. We hereby discuss the possible role of octreotide
in PTCS and hypothesize the possible mechanism of action of this drug in reducing
ICP.
Keywords
idiopathic intracranial hypertension - pseudotumor cerebri - children - treatment
- octreotide
