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A 46-year-old member asked:

What is papilledema?

3 doctor answers9 doctors weighed in
Dr. Richard Scartozzi
Ophthalmology - Retinal Surgery 21 years experience
Optic nerve swelling: Due to increased intracranial pressure. Papilledema can cause permanent damage to one's vision if the intracranial pressure is not lowered to a normal level.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Howard Pomeranz
Ophthalmology 30 years experience
Papilledema : Papilledema is swelling of the optic nerves due to high spinal fluid pressure in the brain.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
Dr. Luis Taylor
A Verified Doctoranswered
Pulmonology 41 years experience
Papilledema is: a swollen optic nerve head. The term papilledema should be reserved for optic disc swelling that is due to raised intracranial pressure such as brain tumor or head trauma.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

Similar questions

A 39-year-old member asked:

Is papilledema serious?

2 doctor answers3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Richard Scartozzi
Ophthalmology - Retinal Surgery 21 years experience
Yes: Papilledema is the swelling of one's optic nerves due to increased intracranial pressure (icp). The cause of the increased icp must be investigated, usually with brain imaging and possibly with a lumbar puncture. There are also many causes of optic nerve swelling that are not due to increased icp (hence they are not called papilledema). Optic nerve swelling can cause loss of vision over time.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 38-year-old member asked:

What is the treatment for papilledema ?

1 doctor answer3 doctors weighed in
Dr. Richard Scartozzi
Ophthalmology - Retinal Surgery 21 years experience
See below: Papilledema by definition is optic nerve swelling due to increased intracranial pressure (icp), thus the treatment is to lower icp with medicine (like diamox) or surgery (like a surgical shunt). If optic nerve swelling is due to another cause, then it requires a different treatment.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.
A 46-year-old member asked:

How serious is papilledema?

2 doctor answers2 doctors weighed in
Dr. Robert Chang
Specializes in Ophthalmology
Can be: But if someone found it in your eyes, they should be working it up.
Created for people with ongoing healthcare needs but benefits everyone.

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What is the definition or description of: papilledema?
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Can you please tell me how papilledema & glaucoma differ?
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Does my son need repetitive spinal taps to check his papilledema?
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Are IIH and papilledema the same or not?
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Last updated Nov 27, 2017

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