Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41938992›Full record

ArticleIndian journal of pharmaceutical education : official publication of Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India2026

Topiramate Versus Acetazolamide for Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension. A Real-World Data-Based Multicenter Retrospective Study.

Mahmoud Mohamed Morsy, Ahmed Yasser Azzam, Muhammed Amir Essibayi, Alsaleem Mohammed Abadi, Nasser Abdulmohsen Alsabaani, Safar Abadi Alsaleem, Waleed Abdulwahab Aldhabaan, Hana Jihad Abukhadijah, Mohamed Darwesh Morsy, Aayushi Aarav Garg and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Indian journal of pharmaceutical education : official publication of Association of Pharmaceutical Teachers of India, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Mahmoud Mohamed MorsyDepartment of Medicine, October 6 University Hospital, October 6 University, Giza, EGYPT.
Ahmed Yasser AzzamDepartment of Medicine, October 6 University Hospital, October 6 University, Giza, EGYPT.
Muhammed Amir EssibayiDepartment of Neurological Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
Alsaleem Mohammed AbadiDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, SAUDI ARABIA.
Nasser Abdulmohsen AlsabaaniDepartment of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, SAUDI ARABIA.
Safar Abadi AlsaleemDepartment of Family and Community Medicine, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, SAUDI ARABIA.
Waleed Abdulwahab AldhabaanDepartment of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, SAUDI ARABIA.
Hana Jihad AbukhadijahDepartment of Public Health and Medical Research, Medical Research Center, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha, QATAR.
Mohamed Darwesh MorsyDepartment of Clinical Physiology, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, SAUDI ARABIA.
Aayushi Aarav GargDepartment of Neurology, The Institute for Clinical and Translational Science, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, the University of Iowa, Iowa City, USA.
David Joseph AltschulDepartment of Neurological Surgery, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.

Funding

Einstein-Montefiore Clinical and Translational Science Award HubUM1TR004400 · NCATS · ALBERT EINSTEIN COLLEGE OF MEDICINE · PI Jessica Kahn, Mimi Y Kim · 2023 to 2026
$17.3M
NCATS NIH HHS UM1 TR004400
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (IIH) is a condition marked by elevated intracranial pressure without mass lesions or hydrocephalus, primarily affecting young obese women. Acetazolamide has been the standard treatment, but its side effects often limit use. Topiramate, an anticonvulsant, has gained attention for its dual role as a carbonic anhydrase inhibitor and weight loss promoter. This study compares the efficacy and safety of topiramate versus acetazolamide in IIH management. Materials and Methods: This international, multicenter retrospective study analyzed electronic health records of IIH patients from 2009 to 2024 across six countries. Propensity score matching balanced baseline characteristics between groups, with outcomes evaluated over 24 months. Primary endpoints included papilledema resolution, headache control, visual outcomes and the incidence of refractory IIH and surgical interventions. Results: In a cohort of 16,654 propensity-matched patients (8,327 per group), topiramate significantly reduced persistent papilledema at 24 months (16.8% vs. 28.8%; Conclusion: Topiramate demonstrated superior efficacy compared to acetazolamide in resolving papilledema, controlling headaches and reducing the need for invasive procedures. It may represent a more effective first-line therapy for IIH. Further randomized trials are needed to validate these findings and optimize treatment protocols.

Indexed as

AcetazolamideIdiopathic Intracranial HypetensionPapilledemaPseudotumor CerebriTopiramate

Identifiers

PMID41938992
PMCPMC13046402

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.