Idiopathic intracranial hypertension and oxaliplatin: a causal association?

Abstract

We report a case of a 54-year-old woman presented at the emergency service with complaints of transitory visual obscurations for four days, and headache, nausea and occasional vomiting in the last two months. She had been diagnosed of colorectal cancer one year ago and she was on treatment with oxaliplatin on a FOLFOX schedule. On ophthalmic examination, the vision was of 20/20 in both eyes and bilateral disc swelling was noted. The neurologic examination was normal. Magnetic resonance revealed no changes. A diagnostic lumbar puncture demonstrated an elevated opening pressure of 290 mm H₂O with normal compounds. Due to the suspicion of ocular toxicity, oxaliplatin treatment was stopped. Treatment with oral acetazolamide was started and maintained for one month. In three weeks ocular and systemic symptoms totally disappeared and disc swelling gradually improved in the following months. Ocular toxicity has been reported as an infrequent adverse effect of oxaliplatin, but intracranial idiopathic pressure has not yet been described. Findings in this case suggest that oxaliplatin could be the cause for these symptoms. As the use of oxaliplatin is increasing as first-line treatment in colorectal cancer, we have to be alert to its potential toxicity.

• Chemotherapeutic drugs
• intracranial hypertension
• oxaliplatin
• papilledema

Declaration of interest

The authors have no financial interest in this article