Cervicogenic headache

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a disorder of raised intracranial pressure, almost always associated with papilloedema, in the absence of underlying central nervous system pathology. It is a rare disease, with an annual incidence of around 1 in 100,000 persons, with an age of onset between 11 and 58 years. It is predominantly seen in obese women of childbearing age (incidence 10–20 per 100,000), but can affect any age, ethnicity, or sex. The two morbidities associated with IIH are vision loss and headache, with headache ultimately affecting > 90% of patients. The exact mechanisms underlying IIH related headache pain are still unknown, but it is often debilitating and significantly impacts on quality of life. The goal of treatment is to reduce intracranial pressure to minimize vision loss and headaches. Effective medical and surgical interventions are available for treatment of headache in IIH and are tailored to each individual patient. Overall, the prognosis for treatment of headache in IIH is good.