Ünsal Yılmaz1, Mehmet Çeleğen2, Tuba Sevim Yılmaz3, Müge Gürçınar4, Aycan Ünalp5. 1. Department of Pediatric Neurology, Dr. Behçet Uz Children's Hospital, Izmir, Turkey. Electronic address: drunsalyilmaz@yahoo.com. 2. Department of Pediatrics, Dr. Behçet Uz Children's Hospital, Izmir, Turkey. 3. Department of Public Health, Dokuz Eylul University Hospital, Izmir, Turkey. 4. Department of Radiology, Alsancak MRI Center, Izmir, Turkey. 5. Department of Pediatric Neurology, Dr. Behçet Uz Children's Hospital, Izmir, Turkey.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Headaches are common in children and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies are widely used in everyday clinical practice because of increasing demands by parents. AIM: To determine headache types and to evaluate the frequency and clinical significance of brain MRI abnormalities in children with headache. METHODS: A total of 449 children (261 male and 188 female with a mean age of 11.16 ± 3.22 years) with headache were included into the study. The criteria defined by International Headache Society were used to classify the headache types. RESULTS: The causes of headache were migraine in 247 (55.0%), tension-type in 133 (29.6%), secondary in 48 (10.7%), and unspecified headaches in 21 (4.7%) patients. Overall, 324 (72.2%) patients underwent cerebral MRI, which revealed abnormalities in 68 (21.0%) patients. Two (0.6%) patients had cerebral MRI abnormalities relevant to headache, including tumor and hydrocephalus each 1 (0.3%). Twenty-nine (8.9%) patients had incidental cerebral MRI abnormalities including 14 (4.3%) white-matter hyperintensities, 4 (1.2%) old infarcts, 3 (0.9%) Chiari malformations, arachnoid cysts and demyelinating lesions each 2 (0.6%), and subdural hygroma, fibrous dysplasia, pineal cyst and perivascular widening, each 1 (0.3%). Remaining 36 (11.1%) patients had extra-cerebral MRI abnormalities including 34 (10.5%) sinus disease, and 2 (0.6%) adenoid vegetation. Indications for brain MRI were atypical headache pattern or presence of neurologic abnormalities in 59 (18.2%) patients and parents' concerns in 265 (81.8%) patients. The rates of abnormal MRI findings were similar between these 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: The most frequent cause of headache in children is migraine. Despite the high rate of imaging abnormalities, the yield of brain MRI is not contributory to the diagnostic and therapeutic approach.
BACKGROUND:Headaches are common in children and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies are widely used in everyday clinical practice because of increasing demands by parents. AIM: To determine headache types and to evaluate the frequency and clinical significance of brain MRI abnormalities in children with headache. METHODS: A total of 449 children (261 male and 188 female with a mean age of 11.16 ± 3.22 years) with headache were included into the study. The criteria defined by International Headache Society were used to classify the headache types. RESULTS: The causes of headache were migraine in 247 (55.0%), tension-type in 133 (29.6%), secondary in 48 (10.7%), and unspecifiedheadaches in 21 (4.7%) patients. Overall, 324 (72.2%) patients underwent cerebral MRI, which revealed abnormalities in 68 (21.0%) patients. Two (0.6%) patients had cerebral MRI abnormalities relevant to headache, including tumor and hydrocephalus each 1 (0.3%). Twenty-nine (8.9%) patients had incidental cerebral MRI abnormalities including 14 (4.3%) white-matter hyperintensities, 4 (1.2%) old infarcts, 3 (0.9%) Chiari malformations, arachnoid cysts and demyelinating lesions each 2 (0.6%), and subdural hygroma, fibrous dysplasia, pineal cyst and perivascular widening, each 1 (0.3%). Remaining 36 (11.1%) patients had extra-cerebral MRI abnormalities including 34 (10.5%) sinus disease, and 2 (0.6%) adenoid vegetation. Indications for brain MRI were atypical headache pattern or presence of neurologic abnormalities in 59 (18.2%) patients and parents' concerns in 265 (81.8%) patients. The rates of abnormal MRI findings were similar between these 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: The most frequent cause of headache in children is migraine. Despite the high rate of imaging abnormalities, the yield of brain MRI is not contributory to the diagnostic and therapeutic approach.
Authors: Mustafa Calik; Mehmet Salih Aktas; Emre Cecen; Ibrahim Etem Piskin; Hamza Ayaydın; Zuhal Ornek; Meryem Karaca; Abdullah Solmaz; Halil Ay Journal: Neurol Sci Date: 2018-03-08 Impact factor: 3.307
Authors: Jason G van Genderen; Cecilia Chia; Malon Van den Hof; Henk J M M Mutsaerts; Liesbeth Reneman; Dasja Pajkrt; Anouk Schrantee Journal: Neurology Date: 2022-08-08 Impact factor: 11.800
Authors: Jason G van Genderen; Malon Van den Hof; Anders C Boyd; Matthan W A Caan; Ferdinand W N M Wit; Peter Reiss; Dasja Pajkrt Journal: PLoS One Date: 2020-10-28 Impact factor: 3.240