Pseudotumor cerebri child

Hello my daughter is 8 and we went to our regular ophthalmologist and she saw something on my daughters optic nerve so then we went to the specialist and he found pressure rings around both nerves.  She has never had any headaches other than 1 at Christmas.  We then went for MRI it was normal except for thickening of right sinus and then we had lumbar puncture.  her pressure was 32 cmH20.  Now he wants her to go on Diamox and then re-evaluate later.  The puncture did not change the pressure on optic nerve and now she has some hemorrhaging starting.  She is not a fat child but all they keep telling me is she is fat and that is why she is having this problem.  She also has sleep apnea an has had it since she was 5.  We use a cpap at night and it has helped.  I am just very confused as to why they can't give me a straight answer.  It seems to me that they do not know what has caused it and so they just are saying FAT FAT FAT.. I am very frustrated and am now getting a referral to a new Neurologist in Atlanta Ga at Scottish Rites.  I have 3 nephews who have Chiari Malformation but they keep telling me this is not it.  I would just like any input or information anyone has to offer.  This is so frustrating.  She has no symptoms other than the tripping and we would have never known if we had not gone for our annual eye exam.  I keep seeing everyone post about headaches as the main symptom but with us we have none so now I wonder if they are right.  

[John C Hagan III, MD, FACS, FAAO]

Everyone has a different definition of "fat" especially fat people or parents of fat children that use a lot of denial. Your pediatrician can look at a chart and determine if you child is overweight or obese. Both sleep apnea and pseudotumor are more common in overweight and obese people.

Go to www.emedicine.com and read the section on pseudotumor cerebri. Fat is not the only cause can be due to some medications, some vitamins excesses and some without a cause.

If all of them are talking about weight its likely your daughter is overweight and needs to lose some pounds. Diamox often causes weight reduction.

JCH MD