Epidural fat in IIH
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Assessment of Epidural Fat in Patients with Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension
IRAS ID
179430
Contact name
Benjamin R Wakerley
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Gloucestershire Royal Hospitals NHS foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 28 days
Research summary
Background: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a neurological disease associated with raised intracranial pressure in the absence of a structural cause. The exact mechanism of disease pathogenesis remains unknown, although typically patients with IIH are young obese females and therefore there has been a focus on fat metabolism. It has been postulated that hormones produced by adipose cells might interfere with cerebrospinal fluid absorption and therefore result in raised intracranial pressure. Only a small proportion, however, of young obese patients develop IIH and therefore other factors must be important. Spinal epidural lipomatosis is a rare disease characterized by overgrowth of epidural fat, which may cause spinal cord compression. Obesity is a risk factor for epidural lipomatosis, but similar to IIH, spinal epidural lipomatosis only occurs in a minority of obese patients. It remains unclear whether excessive epidural fat has an effect on cerebrospinal fluid dynamics, but given their anatomical relationship this association warrants further investigation. The characteristics of epidural fat have been studied in obese and non-obese individuals, but not in patients with IIH.
Aims: To examine the relationship between the volume and distribution of epidural fat as measured by MRI in patients with IIH compared with age and weight matched controls.
Methods: 20 female patients with IIH will be compared with 20 age and weight matched female controls. All subjects will have a spinal MRI to assess epidural fat volume and distribution. Acquired images will be analysed by a consultant radiologist, who is blinded to study / control groups. Measurements will be made of anterior, posterior and lateral epidural fat at selected axial levels. Statistical analysis will involve comparison of non-parametric data between the affected and non-affected groups.
REC name
London - Surrey Borders Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/LO/2163
Date of REC Opinion
17 Dec 2015
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion