PERIORBITAL VENOUS VASCULITIS, INTRACRANIAL HYPERTENSION AND EMPTY SELLA

Sixteen patients with chronic periorbital venous vasculitis without ne rve involvement and 9 patients with active episodic cluster headache w ere studied as to cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure. Eighty-one perce nt of the patients with chronic and 33% with episodic symptoms had pat hologically increased CSF pressure. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brains in the chronic group showed empty sella in 60%, cerebral atroph y in 21% and white matter lesions with high signal intensity on T2 wei ghted sequences in 29%. Abnormal obesity was found in 31% of the patie nts with chronic periorbital venous vasculitis under 60 years of age. Venous vasculitis is suggested as a cause of intracranial hypertension , empty sella, and endocrinologic dysfunctions.