ASSESSMENT OF CHILDHOOD HEADACHES: A SINGLE CENTER EXPERIENCE

Aim: Headache is a common problem in childhood as well as adults. All headache diagnostic criteria have been revised with “The International Classification of Headache Disorders 3rd edition”, the latest classification of the international headache community. Using these current data, we aimed to share our single center experience in the diagnosis, treatment of patients who applied to our hospital with headache complaints.

Method: We analyzed the etiological features, laboratory and imaging findings of patients who came to our hospital with a complaint of headache between 2019 and 2021.

Results: 1300 patients were included in this study, 616 (%47,4) of the patients were boys and 684 (%52,6) were girls, with a median age of 12,28±3.70. Migraine without aura in 255 (19.6%) patients, migraine with aura in 18 (1.4%) patients, tension-type headache in 728 (56%) patients, sinusitis in 138 (10.6%) patients, Pseudotumor cerebri in 19 (1.4%) patients and intracranial mass in 3 (0.2%) patients was detected. The mean duration of attacks in our patients was 2,86±6.90 (15 min-72 h), and the mean duration of attacks in our migraine patients was 6,55±12.10 (30 min-72 h).

Conclusion: As a result, it was seen that the history taken during the diagnosis of the patient who applied with the complaints of chronic headache was important. It was concluded that laboratory and imaging methods are of considerable importance in the detection and treatment of comorbidities that may accompany. Therewithal, it was revealed that the duration of headaches in the pediatric patients may be shorter than in adults.
Keywords: childhood headache, Migraine, tension-type headache,pseudotumor cerebri