Intracranial Hypertension Without Headache in Children

Abstract

We aimed to determine the frequency of intracranial hypertension without headache in children. We retrospectively analyzed patients evaluated in a pediatric intracranial hypertension referral center. Patients were divided into 2 groups depending on whether they complained of headache at the time of presentation. Age, body mass index, and opening cerebrospinal fluid pressures were considered continuous variables and compared by Wilcoxon rank-sum test because of non-normality. A P value of .05 was considered significant. A total of 228 charts were reviewed; 152 patients met the criteria for intracranial hypertension and 22/152 patients (14.5%) met the criteria of optic nerve edema without headache. There were clinically significant differences in age and body mass index between the 2 groups. The group without headache was typically younger and not obese. The opening pressure and modified opening pressure were not clinically significant between the 2 groups.