Secondary headache in children.
Headache is one of the most common health complaints in children and adolescents. The initial assessment of acute headache aims to recognize whether there is a secondary cause for headache. According to the literature, the secondary headaches due to non-life-threatening diseases are the most frequent ones in pediatrics. In particular, respiratory tract infections and minor head trauma represent the majority. In a small minority of patients, headache is secondary to serious life-threatening intracranial disorders. Meningitis is the most common cause of headache due to serious neurological condition. These patients do not constitute a diagnostic problem, as they usually have clear systemic and neurological signs of intracranial hypertension. Recent onset of headache attacks, occipital location of pain, patient's inability to describe headache characteristics seem frequently recur, together with neurological signs, in intracranial life-threatening conditions.
Celle
M E
ME
O. U. Neuropsychiatry, University of Genoa, G. Gaslini Institute, Largo G. Gaslini 5, 16148, Genoa-Quarto, Italy. mariacelle@ospedale-gaslini.ge.it
Carelli
V
V
Fornarino
S
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D051271:Headache Disorders, Secondary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires
Headache. 2000 Mar;40(3):200-3
10759922
J Headache Pain. 2008 Apr;9(2):83-7
18250964
Headache. 2008 Jul;48(7):1005-11
18705026
CMAJ. 1990 May 1;142(9):949-52
2183919