Optic Nerve
Optic disc swelling due to increased intracranial pressure.
Suspected papilledema requires urgent medical evaluation. Do not wait for a WhatsApp message, email reply or routine appointment if warning symptoms occur.
The term papilledema refers specifically to optic disc swelling caused by increased intracranial pressure. Other causes of optic disc swelling include local or systemic conditions such as optic neuritis. Not all optic disc swelling is papilledema: the term applies only when pressure within the skull is elevated.
Causes of increased intracranial pressure that can lead to papilledema include idiopathic intracranial hypertension (also called pseudotumor cerebri), brain tumors, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis and conditions affecting the circulation of cerebrospinal fluid, among others.
Papilledema may be accompanied by headache, brief episodes of visual dimming lasting a few seconds, pulsatile tinnitus and nausea. Central visual acuity is often preserved in the early stages, although visual field changes may occur.
Because papilledema reflects increased pressure within the skull, its identification calls for prompt evaluation to determine the cause—through imaging and often lumbar puncture—and to direct treatment accordingly. Without evaluation and treatment, papilledema may progress to permanent optic nerve damage.
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