Do men with pseudotumor cerebri share the same characteristics as women? Aretrospective review of 141 cases

Objective: To determine whether males with pseudotumor cerebri (PTC) differ from females by clinical presentation. risk factors, and outcome. Methods: The medical records of patients diagnosed with PTC or idiopathic i ntracranial hypertension (IIH) in two major university hospitals were obtai ned. Diagnostic criteria, clinical features, presence of obesity, mode of t reatment, and outcome were tabulated. Results: A total of 134 patients (18 males and 116 females) fulfilled the D andy diagnostic criteria for PTC. Females and males shared similar clinical features and outcome. There was a substantial difference between the group s regarding body weight. The majority of females (77.8%) were considered si gnificantly overweight, compared to 25% of the males. Conclusion: Pseudotumor cerebri in males is relatively rare. The clinical f eatures are identical to those found in females. The fact that the majority of the male patients had a normal body weight may indicate that increased body weight does not play a major role in causing PTC in men, whereas it is an established major risk factor in women.