Bilateral Abducens Nerve Palsy due to Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension as an Initial Manifestation of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

• Published in: Internal Medicine Vol. 55; no. 8; pp. 991 - 994
• Main Authors: Katsuyama, Eri, Sada, Ken-ei, Tatebe, Noriko, Watanabe, Haruki, Katsuyama, Takayuki, Narazaki, Mariko, Sugiyama, Koichi, Watanabe, Katsue S., Wakabayashi, Hiroshi, Kawabata, Tomoko, Wada, Jun, Makino, Hirofumi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 01.01.2016
• Subjects: Abducens Nerve Diseases - etiology; abducens nerve palsy; Adolescent; Adrenal Cortex Hormones - therapeutic use; diagnosis; Female; Humans; idiopathic intracranial hypertension; Intracranial Hypertension - etiology; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - complications; Lupus Erythematosus, Systemic - drug therapy; systemic lupus erythematosus; treatment
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.55.5990

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a syndrome of increased intracranial pressure and presents as an intractable headache, vomiting, and ophthalmologic manifestations. We herein report the case of a young girl who presented with bilateral abducens nerve palsy due to IIH as the onset of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The patient was successfully treated with corticosteroid therapy. Our case lacked the typical symptoms of IIH, such as headache or nausea; therefore, it is necessary to carefully determine the cause of bilateral abducens nerve palsies. The development of IIH in SLE patients is a rare occurrence, but this manifestation should not be overlooked.