Disc Edema in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

February 26, 2018 updated by: Sachin Kedar, University of Mississippi Medical Center

Incidence and Causes of Disc Edema in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease

Papilledema is defined as swelling of the optic nerves often due to increased intracranial pressure. When present, it often indicates life-threatening lesions of the brain such as tumors, abscesses, meningitis, encephalitis, venous sinus obstruction or intracranial hemorrhage. A similar clinical picture can also be caused by other conditions such as malignant hypertension, diabetic papillopathy and uremia. When the intracranial pressure is elevated in the absence of any known cause then it is called Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH). Untreated papilledema can cause progressive optic nerve damage and blindness.

Patients with chronic kidney disease have a number of co-morbidities and thus are at an increased risk for developing papilledema. Although clinicians have observed that patients with kidney diseases have increased incidence of papilledema (unpublished data by Corbett et al), there have been no studies on this subject to date. We believe that a higher incidence of papilledema is found in patients with kidney diseases and this study could provide evidence to suggest routine ophthalmic screening in this patient group.

Hypothesis: The prevalence of optic disc swelling is increased in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Purpose: To establish the prevalence of disc edema in patients with chronic kidney disease.

Study Overview

Status

Withdrawn

Conditions

Detailed Description

The craniospinal cavity is enclosed by a rigid, non-compressible bone and thus has a constant volume. It is filled with soft tissue (brain, spinal cord and connective tissue), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and circulating blood. Intracranial pressure (ICP) is the pressure of the fluid that bathes the brain and the spinal cord. The ICP is regulated by a fine balance between the production and absorption of CSF. Any disturbance in the volumes of the contents of the rigid craniospinal cavity will cause an alteration of the ICP. Intracranial pressure can be elevated from a number of disease processes such as space occupying lesions, abnormalities of the production and absorption of the CSF and abnormalities of the circulation such as venous obstruction.

Raised ICP will symptomatically manifest as headache, vomiting, tinnitus and diplopia in addition to neurologic symptoms related to the lesion location and type. The increased ICP can be transmitted to the optic nerves causing papilledema, defined as swelling of the optic nerve head (papilla) secondary to raised ICP. Swelling of the optic nerves in the absence of raised ICP is termed disc edema (Parsons JH, Miller NR). Causes of disc edema are extensive and include ischemic optic neuropathy, malignant hypertension, diabetic papillopathy, uremia, intracranial hypotension (CSF leak).

Papilledema is considered a medical emergency and is investigated by means of neuroimaging (to evaluate intracranial lesions) and lumbar puncture (to evaluate the opening pressure and CSF contents). A diagnosis of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) is made when there is elevated ICP in the absence of clinical, laboratory or radiological evidence of any known cause of raised ICP.

The most feared complication of untreated papilledema is progressive optic nerve atrophy resulting in vision loss. Early recognition, investigation and treatment of papilledema and its causes can prevent blindness.

Patients with chronic kidney diseases have a number of risk factors which predispose them to the development of disc edema. Medical comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes mellitus increase their risk for optic nerve head diseases such as ischemic optic neuropathy and diabetic papillopathy. Malignant hypertension, uremia and dialysis dysequilibrium syndrome also are known to cause papilledema.

There are no studies in the English literature to date, on disc edema in patients with kidney diseases. However, neuroophthalmologists have clinically observed that patients with chronic kidney diseases appear to have an increased incidence of optic nerve swelling (Corbett JJ, unpublished data). A study looking at optic nerve edema in this group of patients is overdue and may determine additional guidelines in the management of patients with chronic kidney diseases.

The patients enrolled in the study will undergo an optic nerve head examination by ophthalmoscopy to identify patients with disc edema. If disc edema is detected on the screening examination, the patients will be referred to the Neuroophthalmology service for evaluation and investigations to determine the further management. The results of the neuroophthalmologic workup for patients with disc edema will be reviewed to ascertain the etiology of disc edema.

Study Type

Observational

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Mississippi
      • Jackson, Mississippi, United States, 39216
        • University of Mississippi Medical Center

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

18 years to 80 years (ADULT, OLDER_ADULT)

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Genders Eligible for Study

All

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study sample will be drawn from the population of patients with chronic kidney diseases attending the kidney disease clinics and the hemodialysis units at the University of Mississippi Medical Center and the Jackson Medical Mall

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • All patients who have been identified to have kidney disease (as defined by the K/DOQI Clinical Practice Guidelines for Chronic Kidney Disease-2002)

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients with renal transplantation
  • Patients who are less than 18 years of age
  • Patients who are unable to provide an informed consent to participate in the study.
  • Chronic Steroid use greater than or equal to 3 months within the last 6 months

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort
CKD
The cohort comprises of patients who are diagnosed to have chronic kidney disease as defined by the K/DOQI Clinical Practice Guidelines for Chronic Kidney Disease-2002.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
disc edema
Time Frame: 0 days
0 days

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Time Frame
ophthalmoscopic diagnosis
Time Frame: 0 days
0 days
neurologic diagnosis
Time Frame: 1 month
1 month

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

University of Mississippi Medical Center

Investigators

  • Principal Investigator: SACHIN KEDAR, M.D, University of Mississippi Medical Center

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start

January 1, 2010

Primary Completion (ANTICIPATED)

December 1, 2010

Study Completion (ANTICIPATED)

April 1, 2011

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

October 8, 2008

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

October 8, 2008

First Posted (ESTIMATE)

October 9, 2008

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (ACTUAL)

February 28, 2018

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

February 26, 2018

Last Verified

February 1, 2018

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • 2008-0019

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

Clinical Trials on Chronic Kidney Disease

Search Similar Trials

Sponsors and Collaborators

Medical Conditions

Drug Interventions

CROs by country

CROs in Paraguay

Conditions

Rare Diseases

Drug Interventions

Dietary Supplements

Sponsor/Collaborators

Locations

3
Subscribe