ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Pediatr.
Sec. Pediatric Neurology
Awareness of Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension in Children Among Pediatricians in Saudi Arabia: A Cross-Sectional Study
Provisionally accepted
Mohammed A. Al-Omari1*
Ahmad A. AlShammari1
Hwazen A. Shash1
Abdullah K. Almutairi1
Fai A. AlQahtani1
Razan H. AlAttas1Somyyah I. AlNaimi1
Alia M. AlAmmari1
Sulaiman Almobarak2,3- 1Department of Pediatrics, College of Medicine, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Dammam, Saudi Arabia
- 2Pediatric Neurology Department, King Saud Medical City, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
- 3College of Medicine, Alfaisal University, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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Background: Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a rare condition in children, often underdiagnosed due to its rarity and non-specific clinical presentations. This study aimed to assess the awareness and knowledge of pediatricians in Saudi Arabia regarding IIH in the pediatric population. Methods: A nationwide cross-sectional study was conducted using a validated electronic questionnaire distributed to registered pediatricians across various subspecialties. The questionnaire assessed knowledge on IIH definition, clinical presentation, diagnosis, management, and prognosis. Participants were categorized by years of experience into: Group A (1–9 years) and Group B (≥10 years). Responses between the two groups were compared. Results: A total of 234 pediatricians completed the questionnaire (Group A: 43%, n = 101; Group B: 57%, n = 133). The overall knowledge level was moderate, with a correct response rate of 73%. While most respondents demonstrated understanding of IIH definitions and risk factors, knowledge gaps were noted in incidence, diagnostic criteria, and management. Pediatricians in Group B were significantly more likely to recognize headache as the most common symptom (p = 0.003) and the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to management (p = 0.001). Conclusion: The study identified significant knowledge gaps among pediatricians regarding IIH in children, particularly among those with fewer years of clinical experience. Addressing these gaps through targeted educational programs is essential to enhance early recognition, accurate diagnosis, and effective management of pediatric IIH, ultimately reducing the risk of serious complications such as irreversible vision loss.
Keywords: Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension, Pseudotumor Cerebri, Headache in children, Awareness, diagnosis, pediatricians
Received: 28 Jul 2025; Accepted: 24 Oct 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Al-Omari, AlShammari, Shash, Almutairi, AlQahtani, AlAttas, AlNaimi, AlAmmari and Almobarak. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Mohammed A. Al-Omari, momari@iau.edu.sa
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