Which of the following is NOT listed as a cause of increased intracranial pressure?

• A. Vitamin deficiency
• B. Hydrocephalus
• C. Bleed
• D. Tumor

Answer: (A)

The key idea is how intracranial pressure rises: the skull has a fixed volume, and the brain, blood, and cerebrospinal fluid share that space. When one component increases and the others can’t compensate, pressure goes up (Monro-Kellie principle). The typical culprits are things that add mass or volume inside the skull: a tumor increases brain tissue volume; a bleed adds blood quickly; hydrocephalus traps more CSF. Vitamin deficiency, while it can cause various neurological problems through metabolic effects, does not directly add volume inside the skull or disrupt CSF drainage in the acute, pressure-changing way those conditions do. So vitamin deficiency isn’t listed as a cause of increased intracranial pressure, whereas hydrocephalus, a bleed, and a tumor are.