What are the other Names for this Condition? (Also known as/Synonyms)

• Headache due to Intracranial Hypertension Secondary to Metabolic, Toxic, or Hormonal Cause

What is Headache Attributed to Intracranial Hypertension Secondary to Metabolic, Toxic, or Hormonal Cause? (Definition/Background Information)

• Headache Attributed to Intracranial Hypertension Secondary to Metabolic, Toxic, or Hormonal Cause is a headache disorder that occurs secondary to a host of systemic conditions causing intracranial cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure increase. Such conditions may include:
  • Acute hepatic failure
  • Acute hypertensive crisis
  • Cerebral venous sinus thrombosis
  • Corticosteroid withdrawal
  • Hypercarbia
  • Medication use (chlordecone, retinoic acid, retinoids, tetracyclines, among others)
  • Renal failure
  • Reye’s hepatocerebral syndrome
  • Right heart failure
  • Thyroid hormone replacement therapy in children
  • Vitamin A toxicity
• Apart from signs and symptoms that develop from elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressure, there may be other signs and symptoms depending on the underlying cause of CSF pressure increase. Thus, proper management of both the increased intracranial pressure and underlying causative condition may help in resolution of the disorder
• By definition, in Headache Attributed to Intracranial Hypertension Secondary to Metabolic, Toxic, or Hormonal Cause, a new headache may develop, or an existing primary headache worsen significantly, due to the increase in intracranial CSF pressure and systemic disorder. The headache is also known to reduce in severity on lowering the CSF pressure

The criteria for diagnosis of Headache Attributed to Intracranial Hypertension Secondary to Metabolic, Toxic, or Hormonal Cause as outlined by the International Headache Society (IHS) is given below:

• Intracranial hypertension has been attributed to a metabolic, toxic or hormonal disorder
• New headache, or a significant worsening of a pre-existing headache, fulfilling criterion below
• Intracranial hypertension has been diagnosed, with both of the following:
  • Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure exceeds 250 mm CSF (or 280 mm CSF in obese children)
  • Normal CSF composition

Evidence of causation demonstrated by either or both of the following:

• Headache has developed in temporal relation to the increase in CSF pressure, or led to its discovery
• Either or both of the following:
  • Headache has significantly worsened in parallel with increasing CSF pressure
  • Headache has significantly improved in parallel with reduction in CSF pressure

Not better accounted for by another ICHD-3 diagnosis.

(Source: International Headache Society Classification ICHD-3, London, United Kingdom)