Walsh & Hoyt: Pseudopapilledema

Anomalous optic disc elevation (pseudopapilledema) may bear a striking resemblance to true optic disc swelling and therefore represents a primary diagnostic consideration in the patient referred for papilledema. In most instances, a patient is noted to have elevated optic discs or blurred disc margins during the course of a routine examination. The diagnostic uncertainty and alarm created by this finding overshadows the fact that the patient has no other signs or symptoms of increased intracranial pressure. Many patients with pseudopapilledema are referred for neuro-ophthalmologic evaluation only after being subjected to neuroimaging, lumbar puncture, and extensive laboratory studies.