Eight cases of idiopathic hypertrophic meningitis with ophthalmic manifestations as the first symptom

Objective To investigate the clinical, laboratory and imaging evaluation, treatment and prognosis of patients with idiopathic hypertrophic pachymeningitis (IHP) with ophthalmic manifestations as the first symptom. Methods A retrospective case analysis. Eight patients displaying symptoms of IHP were recruited from the Neuro-ophthalmology Department in the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2016 to April 2019 were inculed in this study. There were 6 males and 2 females, aged from 11 to 65 years, with an average age of 48.00±19.08 years. The course of disease ranged from 30 days to 7.5 years, with an average course of 17.00±30.08 months. The age, symptoms and signs of all patients were recorded. All patients underwent ophthalmic examination, orbit or brain MRI or CT examinations, blood routine examination, biochemistry, tumor markers, immunity, hepatitis B, syphilis, HIV, thyroid function and other laboratory tests, and lumbar puncture was performed to measure the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure and indicators. The clinical manifestations, orbital or brain MRI imaging and laboratory examination characteristics were summarized. Treatment and prognosis were also observed. Results In total of 8 patients, visual loss was presented in 6 patients, visual loss and diplopia were presented in 1 patient, and diplopia was presented in 1patient. Binocular involvement in 7 patients and monocular involvement in 1 patient. Other symptoms including headache and hear loss and so on. Optic disc edema in 1 eye and optic disc pallor in 6 eyes were reviewed by fundus examination. The laboratory examination showed that the angiotensin converting enzyme abnormal in 4 patients, the anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody abnormal in 3 patients and immunoantibodies positive in 3 patients. CSF measurements showed that the protein level elevated in all patients. Orbit and/or brain MRI and CT examination showed that optic nerve involvement in 6 patients, oculomotor nerve involvement in 1 patient, and cavernous sinus region involvement in 2 patients. Glucocorticoid was effective in all patients, and the visual acuity significantly improved in 4 patients, the diplopia was completely resolved in 2 patients, and the disease modifying therapy (DMT) was combined to prevent recurrence in 7 patients. No recurrence was observed in an average follow-up time of 26.63±16.55 months. Conclusions IHP patients may be first visit an ophthalmologist due to vision loss in bilateral eyes simultaneous or sequentially. IHP patients are often associated with headache and other cranial nerve paralysis symptoms. Definitive diagnosis of IHP depends on imaging examination. Glucocorticoid treatment is effective in early phase, but it is tendency to progress and relapse, suggesting combined with DMT as early as possible. Key words: Meningitis; Vision, low; Diplopia; Glucocorticoids; Disease modifying therapy