Pseudotumour cerebri syndrome due to cryptococcal meningitis

Three cases are reported of the pseudotumour cerebri syndrome--that is, intracranial hypertension without mass lesion or enlarged ventricles, due to cryptococcal meningitis. In these patients the papilloedema was successfully treated with optic nerve sheath decompression, and the intracranial hypertension with lumboperitoneal CSF shunting. These cases support the concept that pseudotumour cerebri is a syndrome of intracranial hypertension that can be due to any disorder producing obstruction of the CSF pathways at the level of the arachnoid villi. This concept is important because it directs therapy to normalise the intracranial pressure and preserve vision.