Pseudotumor cerebri is a clinical syndrome that mimics brain tumor and is characterized
by increased intracranial pressure in the absence of intracranial pathology. This
syndrome may have an identifiable specific underlying cause or may be idiopathic.
The possible association between this condition and infections has been suggested
in a few case series. We present a child with nephrotic syndrome on low dose steroids
who developed pseudotumor cerebri following varicella infection. There are very few
case reports describing such an association previously. We suggest that pseudotumor
cerebri should be included in the differential diagnosis of persistent headache in
a child suffering from varicella infection, especially when the child is on steroids.
Keywords
Pseudotumor cerebri - varicella - nephrotic syndrome
