Epidemiology of idiopathic intracranial hypertension in Israel.

OBJECTIVES: To determine the incidence, demographic, and clinical features of Pseudo Tumor Cerebri (PTC)/Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) in Israel.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: The chairpersons of all neurology and ophthalmology departments in Israel were asked to complete questionnaires regarding patients diagnosed with PTC/IIH from 1998 through 1999. Each questionnaire contained details regarding patient's age, sex, country of birth, age at diagnosis, weight, height, presence of obesity, and the results of lumbar puncture, brain computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging, and/or magnetic resonance venography.

RESULTS: Ninety-one patients with PTC/IIH were diagnosed during the years 1998 to 1999. Eighty-five (93.4%) patients were females and six (6.6%) patients were males. The calculated incidence of PTC/IIH in the Israeli general population was 0.57 to 0.94 per 100,000 persons, with incidences of 1.82 per 100,000 for women and 0.034 per 100,000 for men. The incidence for women during the childbirth years was 4.02 per 100,000. The female to male ratio was higher than previously reported for Western countries.

CONCLUSIONS: Although the population of Israel is a mixture of people originating from Eastern and Western countries, the incidence of PTC/IIH was found to be similar to that of Western countries. This finding is an additional support to the notion that PTC/IIH is more common in obese populations.