title: The child with headache in a pediatric emergency department.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate clinical features of a pediatric population presenting with headache to a pediatric emergency department (ED) and to identify headache characteristics which are more likely associated with serious, life-threatening conditions in distinction from headaches due to more benign processes.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Although headache is a common problem in children visiting a pediatric ED, a few studies thus far have attempted to identify the clinical characteristics most likely associated with suspected life-threatening disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  A retrospective chart review of all consecutive patients who presented with a chief complaint of headache at ED over a 1-year period was conducted. Etiologies were classified according to the International Headache Society diagnostic criteria 2nd edition.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Four hundred and thirty-two children (0.8% of the total number of visits) aged from 2 to 18 years (mean age 8.9 years) were enrolled in our study. There were 228 boys (53%) and 204 girls (47%). School-age group was the most represented (66%). The most common cause of headache was upper respiratory tract infections (19.2%). The remaining majority of non-life-threatening headache included migraine (18.5%), posttraumatic headache (5.5%), tension-type headache (4.6%). Serious life-threatening intracranial disorders (4.1%) included meningitis (1.6%), acute hydrocephalus (0.9%), tumors (0.7%). We found several clinical clues which demonstrated a statistically significant correlation with dangerous conditions: pre-school age, recent onset of pain, occipital location, and child's inability to describe the quality of pain and objective neurological signs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Differential diagnosis between primary and secondary headaches can be very difficult, especially in an ED setting. The majority of headaches are secondary to respiratory infectious diseases and minor head trauma. Our data allowed us to identify clinical features useful to recognize intracranial life-threatening conditions.
authors.affiliation: Ospedale Pediatrico Bambino Gesú, IRCCS-Emergency Department, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Conicella
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Raucci
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vanacore
authors.forename: Federico
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vigevano
authors.forename: Antonino
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Reale
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Pirozzi
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Valeriani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods; D012120:Respiration Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies