Anna Trofimova1, Brianna L Vey2, Mark E Mullins1, David S Wolf3, Nadja Kadom1,4. 1. 1 Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences, Emory University School of Medicine, 201 Dowman Dr, Atlanta, GA 30322. 2. 2 Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA. 3. 3 Department of Pediatrics, Division of Child Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA. 4. 4 Department of Radiology, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, Atlanta, GA.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: Headache in children is a common symptom and often is worrisome for clinicians and parents because of the breadth of possible underlying significant abnormalities, including meningitis, brain neoplasms, and intracranial hemorrhage. For this reason, many children with headaches undergo neuroimaging. Most neuroimaging studies performed of children with headaches have normal findings but may lead to significant downstream effects, including unnecessary exposure to ionizing radiation or sedation, as well as unnecessary cost to the health care system. In this article, we review the current evidence and discuss the role of neuroimaging in the diagnosis and management of pediatric headaches, with a special focus on tools that may aid in increasing the rate of positive findings, such as classification systems, algorithms, and red flag criteria. CONCLUSION: Many tools exist that can help in improving the appropriateness of neuroimaging in pediatric headache. The main issues that remain to be addressed include scientific proof of safety and validity of these tools and clarity regarding the risks, benefits, and cost-effectiveness of CT versus MRI in various clinical settings and scenarios.
OBJECTIVE:Headache in children is a common symptom and often is worrisome for clinicians and parents because of the breadth of possible underlying significant abnormalities, including meningitis, brain neoplasms, and intracranial hemorrhage. For this reason, many children with headaches undergo neuroimaging. Most neuroimaging studies performed of children with headaches have normal findings but may lead to significant downstream effects, including unnecessary exposure to ionizing radiation or sedation, as well as unnecessary cost to the health care system. In this article, we review the current evidence and discuss the role of neuroimaging in the diagnosis and management of pediatric headaches, with a special focus on tools that may aid in increasing the rate of positive findings, such as classification systems, algorithms, and red flag criteria. CONCLUSION: Many tools exist that can help in improving the appropriateness of neuroimaging in pediatric headache. The main issues that remain to be addressed include scientific proof of safety and validity of these tools and clarity regarding the risks, benefits, and cost-effectiveness of CT versus MRI in various clinical settings and scenarios.