Primary Headaches and School Performance-Is There a Connection?

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Headache is a common complaint among children and adolescents. School functioning is one of the most important life domains impacted by chronic pain in children. This review discusses the epidemiological and pathophysiological connections between headaches and school functioning including a suggested clinical approach. RECENT FINDINGS: The connection between recurrent and chronic headache and learning disabilities might be psychosocial (fear of failure) or anatomical (malfunctioning of the frontal and prefrontal areas). Only few population-based and clinical studies were done and good studies are still needed in order to understand the complex relationship better. However, relating to our patients' learning and school performance, history is crucial when a child with primary headaches is evaluated. Learning disabilities seem to have a high prevalence among children with primary headache syndromes especially migraine. The connection between the two is complex and might be either part of a common brain pathophysiology and/or a consequence of poor quality of life.

[Salmonella virchow sacroiliitis and bacteremia in a child].

A 2.5 years old girl was admitted because of high fever and limping that appeared two days after she had trauma to her right leg. Bone scan demonstrated increased uptake in the right sacroiliac joint, and CT demonstrated right sacroiliitis. Salmonella vircow was isolated from the blood culture. The patient recovered after a five weeks course of intravenous antibiotics. Salmonella sacroiliitis in children is rare, and only seven cases have been reported in the English literature in the last 40 years. We reviewed the literature dealing with pathophysiology diagnosis therapy and outcome of this infection.