Work

Headache in a case of tuberculosis: think beyond meningitis—a case report

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Intracranial hypertension may be idiopathic (IIH) or due to some underlying causes, such as an intracranial space-occupying lesion or drug induced. CASE PRESENTATION: A 14-year-old South Asian male was being treated for MDR-TB with anti-tubercular therapy (including levofloxacin) when he developed a headache lasting 8 days. Examination revealed bilateral papilledema. The CSF study was unremarkable. MRI revealed left transverse and sigmoid sinus stenosis. A probable diagnosis of levofloxacin-induced intracranial hypertension was made, and the drug was stopped. The symptoms resolved within 1 week of drug cessation, and the papilledema resolved within 2 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Although rare, clinicians must be aware of this side effect of levofloxacin while evaluating a case with recent onset of features of raised ICP and taking this drug as part of some therapy.

Source: Journal of Medical Case Reports

DOI: 10.1186/s13256-026-06004-z

Authors: Sanchit Shailendra Chouksey, Anand Vardhan Sharma, Ekagrata Shukla, Rameshwar Nath Chaurasia, Pratishtha Sengar, Varun Kumar Singh

Institutions: Datta Meghe Institute of Higher Education and Research, Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University

Language: English

Topic: Cerebral Venous Sinus Thrombosis

Subfield: Neurology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,890