Elevated Intracranial Pressures and Papilledema in a Mouse Model of Glucocorticoid Induced Adrenal Insufficiency

Mechanisms underlying elevated intracranial pressure (ICP) in idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) are poorly understood. Several recent cases have implied adrenal function to contribute to the pathophysiology of IIH, but no studies have examined this relationship to date. Using a mouse model of glucocorticoid induced adrenal insufficiency (GI-AI), our study tested the hypothesis that suppression of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis with exogenous glucocorticoids predisposes to elevated ICP and optic nerve edema.