Autism Spectrum Disorder in Pediatric Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension
Anne K Jensen1,2, Claire A Sheldon1,3, Grace L Paley1,4
1Division of Ophthalmology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA.
Insights
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) may be a comorbidity in children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). This condition appears particularly prevalent in non-obese boys diagnosed with ASD.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is associated with a significant burden of medical comorbidities.
- Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a neurological condition characterized by increased intracranial pressure without a clear cause.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the potential comorbidity of IIH in pediatric patients with ASD.
- To describe the clinical characteristics of pediatric patients with concurrent ASD and IIH.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective observational case series.
- Review of a pediatric neuro-ophthalmologist's database (July 1993 - April 2013).
- Identification of pediatric subjects (2-18 years) with suspected IIH and concurrent ASD diagnoses using ICD-9 codes.
Main Results:
- Three pediatric subjects with concurrent ASD and suspected IIH were identified.
- All identified subjects were non-obese males.
- Three additional cases of IIH in boys with ASD were noted after the initial series completion.
Conclusions:
- IIH may be an under-recognized comorbidity in the ASD population.
- The association appears more prominent in non-obese males with ASD.
- Further research is warranted to confirm this association and elucidate underlying mechanisms.
Abstract:
In recent years, the substantial burden of medical comorbidities in autism spectrum disorder (ASD) populations has been described. We report a retrospective observational case series of pediatric patients with suspected idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) and concurrent ASD. Pediatric subjects with suspected IIH aged 2-18 years were identified by review of a pediatric neuro-ophthalmologist's database spanning from July 1993 to April 2013. ASD diagnoses were identified within this cohort by an ICD-9 diagnosis code search and database review. Three subjects had concurrent ASD diagnoses; all were non-obese males. Since the retrospective observational case series was performed in April 2013, we identified three additional IIH cases in boys with ASD. Our experience suggests that IIH may be a comorbidity of ASD, particularly in non-obese boys.
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