Benign intracranial hypertension.

Although antecedent factors are occasionally implication, most cases of benign intracranial hypertension are idiopathic and occur in young adult women who otherwise appear healthy. The natural course is usually one of spontaneous recovery, although medical intervention may accelerate improvement. Computerized tomographic scanning is the procedure of choice for excluding more ominous conditions, such as brain tumors. The most serious complication of this syndrome is visual loss and in these patients the disease is not "benign."