Stent Implantation Versus Medical Therapy for Idiopathic IntracraniaL Hypertension (SIMPLE)

Aspirin (100 mg) and clopidogrel (75 mg) were administered 3-5 days before endovascular treatment. The endovascular procedure was performed under general anesthesia. Intravenous heparin was administered during the stent procedure to increase the activated clotting time to \> 250 s. An 8F guiding catheter was delivered to the internal jugular vein near the skull base. A 6F Navien intermediate guide catheter was then placed into the distal transverse sinus near the torcula through the 8F guiding catheter. A microguidewire was navigated across the stenosis using a microcatheter, followed by the deployment of a self-expanding stent (eg, Precise or Wallstent) adjusted to the normal sinus venous diameter adjacent to the stenosis. Venography and manometry were performed after the procedure. Postoperatively, all patients received dual antiplatelet medications for 3 months and then received a single antiplatelet (either aspirin or clopidogrel).

The medical treatment consisted of acetazolamide (0.5-4 g/day) and short-term mannitol (bolus of 0.25-1 g/kg body weight) for a duration of about 1 week or repeated lumbar punctures to reduce intracranial pressure (20 mL each), as well as analgesics for headaches. The initial dosage of acetazolamide was 0.5 g daily in two divided doses, followed by dosage increases of one tablet every week up to a maximum dosage of 4 g/day. The dosage escalation was stopped if the participant had papilledema grade \<1 in both eyes, unless the presence of other symptoms such as headache or tinnitus suggested that the dosage escalation should continue. The dosage for the participants who were unable to tolerate the study drug was decreased gradually to a minimum of one half tablet daily.

The weight loss program included a low-calorie diet (≤425 kcal/day) with a target weight loss of approximately 5-10%.