Paediatric Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension in Wales: A Retrospective Observational Study

This study measures the incidence and prevalence of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) in children in Wales and assesses risk factors and health care utilisation. We identified 177 children (1-15 years) with IIH diagnosed between 2003 and 2017. Incidence increased from 1.6/100 000 per year (2003) to 3.5/100 000 per year (2017). Sixty-three percent of the cases were girls, and 87% were diagnosed between 7 and 15 years. Children in the most deprived quintile were more likely to develop IIH compared to children in the least deprived quintile (odds ratio [OR] = 1.7 [95%CI = 1.1-2.9]). Obese and overweight children were more likely to develop IIH compared with non-overweight children (ORs = 21 [95%CI = 9-51] and 5.1 [95%CI = 1.9-14]). Children with IIH had higher hospital admission rates than children without IIH (rate ratio = 3.9; 95% CI 3.6-4.3). The increasing incidence, association with BMI and deprivation, and increased health care utilisation in children with IIH are relevant findings to health care professionals and policy makers.