Headache in the emergency department: importance of history in identifying secondary etiologies.
Headache is a common emergency department complaint and has a broad differential diagnosis. Most commonly the headache is without serious underlying cause, but occasionally can be the manifestation of a more catastrophic illness. History may be the most important aspect in the evaluation of headache patients and careful attention to historical clues or atypical symptoms may point to a diagnosis. We present a patient with a first-time headache, which was ultimately found to be secondary to a carotid cavernous fistula. Historical features that require a more aggressive work-up of headache are discussed.
Svenson
J
J
Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Kentucky, Lexington, USA.
Cowen
D
D
Rogers
A
A
D000328:Adult; D001164:Arteriovenous Fistula / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D002340:Carotid Artery Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery; D002426:Cavernous Sinus; D002533:Cerebral Angiography; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004638:Emergency Treatment; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008487:Medical History Taking