Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension in a Prepubertal Pediatric Japanese Patient Complicated by Severe Papilledema

PURPOSE: To report a rare case of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) in a prepubertal pediatric patient. CASE REPORT: The patient was an 11-year-old Japanese boy. Initially, an ophthalmologist found severe papilledema, and the patient was diagnosed with IIH. He was unresponsive to conservative therapy, and a ventriculoperitoneal shunt was inserted in the Neurosurgery Department because the visual impairment was severe. Twelve months after the shunt, the improvement in vision was limited due to optic disc atrophy. CONCLUSION: Ophthalmologists need to be more aware of II, especially in cases with severe papilledema that can lead to permanent reduction of vision.