title: The worst headache ever. 1. Ominous causes.
abstract: Headache is always a challenging diagnostic exercise but is especially so in patients who have "the worst headache ever." Such a headache should never be automatically dismissed as merely a severe but benign one. A thorough history and careful physical examination are necessary to find evidence of serious disease. If such evidence is present, immediate, aggressive, and thorough evaluation are essential to avoid severe consequences.
authors.affiliation: Division of Neurology, Sunnybrook Medical Centre.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Edmeads
mesh_terms: D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D012852:Sinusitis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D014652:Vascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis