Esra Gurkas1, Zeynep S Karalok2, Birce D Taskın2, Ummu Aydogmus2, Cahide Yılmaz2, Gulsah Bayram3. 1. Department of Pediatric Neurology, Ankara Pediatric and Pediatric Hematology Oncology Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. esragurkas@yahoo.com. 2. Department of Pediatric Neurology, Ankara Pediatric and Pediatric Hematology Oncology Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. 3. Department of Radiology, Ankara Pediatric and Pediatric Hematology Oncology Training and Research Hospital, Ankara, Turkey.
Abstract
INTRODUCTION: The aim was to describe the findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children with headache. POPULATION AND METHODS: Retrospective review of the medical records of patients who were admitted to our pediatric outpatient neurology clinics with the complaint of headache between January 2013 and December 2014. RESULTS: A total of 478 patients (273 female, 205 male) were admitted with the complaint of headache. The types of headache were migraine in 218 (45.6%), tension-type in 159 (33.3%), secondary in 39 (8.2%) and unspecified headaches in 62 (13%) patients. Brain MRI was performed in 407 (85%) patients and revealed cerebral abnormalities in 128 (31.4%) patients; 5 patients had cerebral abnormalities relevant with headache, including tumors. Amongst the others 123 patients, the most common findings were 42 cases (10%) of nonspecific white matter abnormalities, 17 cases (4%) of enlarged perivascular spaces, 17 cases (4%) of arachnoid cyst, 16 cases (3.9%) of asymmetric ventricles, 12 cases (2.9%) with Chiari type I and cerebellar tonsillar ectopia. Also, 17 (4.1%) patients had extra-cerebral MRI abnormalities including sinusitis, mucosal thickening and retention cysts of sinuses. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the contribution of brain MRI in the diagnosis and management of the children with headache was still low. Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría
INTRODUCTION: The aim was to describe the findings on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children with headache. POPULATION AND METHODS: Retrospective review of the medical records of patients who were admitted to our pediatric outpatient neurology clinics with the complaint of headache between January 2013 and December 2014. RESULTS: A total of 478 patients (273 female, 205 male) were admitted with the complaint of headache. The types of headache were migraine in 218 (45.6%), tension-type in 159 (33.3%), secondary in 39 (8.2%) and unspecified headaches in 62 (13%) patients. Brain MRI was performed in 407 (85%) patients and revealed cerebral abnormalities in 128 (31.4%) patients; 5 patients had cerebral abnormalities relevant with headache, including tumors. Amongst the others 123 patients, the most common findings were 42 cases (10%) of nonspecific white matter abnormalities, 17 cases (4%) of enlarged perivascular spaces, 17 cases (4%) of arachnoid cyst, 16 cases (3.9%) of asymmetric ventricles, 12 cases (2.9%) with Chiari type I and cerebellar tonsillar ectopia. Also, 17 (4.1%) patients had extra-cerebral MRI abnormalities including sinusitis, mucosal thickening and retention cysts of sinuses. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the contribution of brain MRI in the diagnosis and management of the children with headache was still low. Sociedad Argentina de Pediatría
Entities:
Keywords:
child; headache; magnetic resonance imaging