Abortion, Anemia, and an Account of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: A Case Report
Introduction: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is a rare but serious cause of headache. Prompt diagnosis and treatment is needed to prevent permanent neurologic sequelae. Case Report: We present a case of a 32-year-old female with multiple emergency department visits for a headache after having...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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eScholarship Publishing, University of California
2025-06-01
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| Series: | Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine |
| Online Access: | https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5wz850vs |
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| author | Chelsey Miller Raphael Sherak |
| author_facet | Chelsey Miller Raphael Sherak |
| author_sort | Chelsey Miller |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Introduction: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is a rare but serious cause of headache. Prompt diagnosis and treatment is needed to prevent permanent neurologic sequelae. Case Report: We present a case of a 32-year-old female with multiple emergency department visits for a headache after having a medical termination of pregnancy. She was found to have severe anemia, retained products of conception, and radiographic findings suggestive of idiopathic intracranial hypertension, which was confirmed by an elevated opening pressure on lumbar puncture. Her symptoms improved after transfusion of packed red blood cells, initiation of acetazolamide and corticosteroids, and manual uterine evacuation. She was ultimately discharged without any neurologic deficits. Conclusion: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is a rare but serious cause of headache, and anemia is an underappreciated precipitating factor. The hormonal changes associated with pregnancy may further predispose patients to this rare medical condition, especially in the setting of vaginal bleeding. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-a9ebbe2bf86944d3bc82b48df0bcd722 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2474-252X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-06-01 |
| publisher | eScholarship Publishing, University of California |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine |
| spelling | doaj-art-a9ebbe2bf86944d3bc82b48df0bcd7222025-08-20T03:02:53ZengeScholarship Publishing, University of CaliforniaClinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine2474-252X2025-06-019331431710.5811/cpcem.39958cpcem-9-314Abortion, Anemia, and an Account of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: A Case ReportChelsey Miller0Raphael Sherak1Yale University Department of Emergency Medicine, New Haven, ConnecticutYale University Department of Emergency Medicine, New Haven, ConnecticutIntroduction: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is a rare but serious cause of headache. Prompt diagnosis and treatment is needed to prevent permanent neurologic sequelae. Case Report: We present a case of a 32-year-old female with multiple emergency department visits for a headache after having a medical termination of pregnancy. She was found to have severe anemia, retained products of conception, and radiographic findings suggestive of idiopathic intracranial hypertension, which was confirmed by an elevated opening pressure on lumbar puncture. Her symptoms improved after transfusion of packed red blood cells, initiation of acetazolamide and corticosteroids, and manual uterine evacuation. She was ultimately discharged without any neurologic deficits. Conclusion: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension is a rare but serious cause of headache, and anemia is an underappreciated precipitating factor. The hormonal changes associated with pregnancy may further predispose patients to this rare medical condition, especially in the setting of vaginal bleeding.https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5wz850vs |
| spellingShingle | Chelsey Miller Raphael Sherak Abortion, Anemia, and an Account of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: A Case Report Clinical Practice and Cases in Emergency Medicine |
| title | Abortion, Anemia, and an Account of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: A Case Report |
| title_full | Abortion, Anemia, and an Account of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: A Case Report |
| title_fullStr | Abortion, Anemia, and an Account of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: A Case Report |
| title_full_unstemmed | Abortion, Anemia, and an Account of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: A Case Report |
| title_short | Abortion, Anemia, and an Account of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension: A Case Report |
| title_sort | abortion anemia and an account of idiopathic intracranial hypertension a case report |
| url | https://escholarship.org/uc/item/5wz850vs |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT chelseymiller abortionanemiaandanaccountofidiopathicintracranialhypertensionacasereport AT raphaelsherak abortionanemiaandanaccountofidiopathicintracranialhypertensionacasereport |