title: Headaches in patients with brain tumors: a study of 111 patients.
abstract: We examined 111 consecutive patients with primary or metastatic brain tumors identified by CT or MRI to characterize brain tumor headache. The median age was 44 years; 34% had primary and 66% metastatic tumors. Headaches were present in 48%, equally for primary and metastatic brain tumors. Headaches were similar to tension-type in 77%, migraine-type in 9%, and other types in 14%. The typical headache was bifrontal but worse ipsilaterally, and was the worst symptom in only 45% of patients. Unlike true tension-type headaches, brain tumor headaches were worse with bending over in 32%, and nausea or vomiting was present in 40% of patients. The "classic" early morning brain tumor headache is uncommon. Nausea, vomiting, an abnormal neurologic examination, or a significant, change in prior headache pattern suggest that the headache may be caused by a tumor.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, New York, NY 10021.
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Forsyth
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Posner
mesh_terms: D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007427:Intracranial Pressure; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015173:Supratentorial Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed