title: Clinical aspects of headache in HIV.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Headaches are commonly seen in those patients with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and are the most common form of pain reported among HIV patients. There have been relatively few studies attempting to determine the rates and phenotypes of the headaches that occur in patients with HIV.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients with HIV are susceptible to a much broader array of secondary headache causes, sometimes with atypical manifestations due to a dampened inflammatory response. The investigation of a headache in the HIV patient should be thorough and focused on making sure that secondary and HIV-specific causes are either ruled out or treated if present.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An effective treatment plan should incorporate the use of appropriate pharmacological agents along with the integration of non-pharmacological therapies, such as relaxation and lifestyle regulation. When treating for headaches in patients with HIV, it is important to keep in mind comorbidities and other medications, especially combination antiretroviral therapy. For those with complicated headache histories, referral to a specialized headache center may be appropriate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Harvard Medical School, John Graham Headache Center, Brigham and Women's Faulkner Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Huma U
authors.initials: HU
authors.lastname: Sheikh
authors.forename: Tracey A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D005260:Female; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006261:Headache / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology* / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
keywords: HIV; abortive; headache; migraine; opportunistic; preventive