The role of neuroimaging in the diagnosis of headache in childhood and adolescence: a multicentre study.
Following the diagnostic indications of the Guidelines for the diagnosis and therapy of juvenile headache, we present the results of a prospective, multicentre study of headache patients aimed at evaluating the utility of neuroradiologic testing in the diagnosis of headache. A total of 6535 subjects up to age 18 were studied, and 1485 underwent neuroimaging testing based on the indications of the diagnostic Flow-Chart. Abnormal results were observed in 273 (18.5%) subjects. Incidental findings were observed in 138 (9.3%) subjects, not correlated with the headache pathology, whereas alterations that led to the diagnosis of secondary headache were observed in 135 (9.1%) subjects. In conclusion, our data support a greater incidence of positive neuroimaging examinations among patients who underwent testing based on suspicion of a secondary headache pathology when compared with the low percentages observed in study populations.
Mazzotta
G
G
Neurosciences Department, University of Perugia, Via Enrico Dal Pozzo, I-06126 Perugia, Italy. mazzogio@unipg.it
Floridi
F
F
Mattioni
A
A
D'Angelo
R
R
Gallai
B
B
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011859:Radiography