Pediatric Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension (Pseudotumor Cerebri)

Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH), or pseudotumor cerebri, is a condition of elevated intracranial pressure in the absence of clinical, laboratory or radiological evidence of an intracranial space occupying lesion that can occur in the pediatric population. While IIH is more commonly recognized as a disorder of adults, it affects children of all ages and can have distinctive characteristics when presenting in the prepubertal age group. This review discusses the demographics, clinical presentation, diagnosis, neuroimaging, and management of pediatric IIH. Common etiologies of IIH in children, with particular focus on endocrine abnormalities, are highlighted.