title: Headache and Facial Pain in Sickle Cell Disease.
abstract: Children and adolescents with sickle cell disease (SCD) have a high prevalence of recurrent headaches (24.0-43.9 %). Acute presentation with headache can be diagnostically challenging, as the clinician must consider evaluation of several potentially devastating conditions including vascular diseases (stroke, hemorrhage, venous sinus thrombosis, moyamoya, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome), facial and orbital bone infarcts, dental pain, and osteomyelitis. Patients with SCD and primary headache disorders may benefit from comprehensive headache treatment plans that include abortive therapy, prophylactic therapy, and non-pharmacological modalities. Although there is limited data in adults, those with SCD are at risk for medication overuse headache secondary to frequent opioid use. Addressing headache in patients with SCD may help to reduce their use of opioids and disability and improve pain and quality of life.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Steuben Ave., Bronx, NY, 10467, USA. avgontza@montefiore.org.
authors.forename: Angeliki
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vgontzas
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Taubman Center, 1500 E. Medical Center Dr. SPC, Ann Arbor, MI, 48109-5316, USA. larrycha@med.umich.edu.
authors.forename: Larry
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Charleston
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Waters Place, Tower 2, 8th Floor, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA. marobbin@montefiore.org.
authors.forename: Matthew S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Robbins
mesh_terms: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000755:Anemia, Sickle Cell / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D005157:Facial Pain / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006261:Headache / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D051271:Headache Disorders, Secondary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D017410:Practice Guidelines as Topic; D015995:Prevalence; D011788:Quality of Life
chemical_list: D000701:Analgesics, Opioid
keywords: Abortive treatment; Facial pain; Headache; Medication overuse; Prophylactic treatment; Sickle cell disease