Novel advances in monitoring and therapeutic approaches in idiopathic intracranial hypertension

Purpose of review
The current article appraises the recent developments in idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), with particular attention to novel therapeutic avenues and advanced clinical assessment and monitoring with optical coherence tomography and telemetric intracranial pressure devices.
Recent findings
The incidence of IIH is increasing. The first consensus guidelines for IIH have been published detailing investigation and management algorithms for adult IIH. Improved understanding, clinical assessment and monitoring are emerging with the use of optical coherence tomography. Intracranial pressure telemetry is providing unique insights into the physiology of raised intracranial pressure in IIH. There are now an increasing number of ongoing clinical trials evaluating weight loss methods and novel targeted therapies, such as 11ß-HSD1 inhibition and Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists.
Summary
Several studies are evaluating new therapies for IIH. Monitoring techniques are advancing, aiding diagnosis and allowing the clinician to accurately evaluate changes in papilloedema and intracranial pressure.


Key Words:
Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension; glucagon-like peptide 1 receptor agonists; novel therapies; optical coherence tomography; raised intracranial pressure; intracranial telemetry