Case report: Central venous stenosis-induced intracranial hypertension

Abstract

Intracranial hypertension due to central venous stenosis (CVS) is an under-recognized but potentially morbid complication of central venous catheters that can have a benign course if recognized and treated early. Here we report a case of a 23-year-old woman requiring hemodialysis via right subclavian catheter who presented with an intracranial hypertension syndrome and sudden visual loss secondary to right innominate vein thrombosis that improved after angioplasty treatment. This case illustrates how CVS can alter the pressure gradient between the subarachnoid space and the cerebral venous sinuses by increasing venous pressure, affecting cerebrospinal fluid drainage. Since CVS is a common finding in patients receiving hemodialysis, intracranial hypertension due to central venous stenosis is a differential diagnosis to consider in patients of this type who present with intracranial hypertension syndrome.