ABSTRACT
Headache either as an isolated syndrome or as part of a symptomatic grouping is a frequent reason for medical consultation or hospitalization during childhood and adolescence. We review 94 clinical histories of patients between three and thirteen years of age. Headache was the reason for being hospitalized in all cases. Our aim was to assess its incidence rate, epidemiology, clinical characteristics and etiology in addition to evaluating as to whether complementary examinations carried out during hospitalization were worthwhile. Among the most significant results were the following: age (73 patients were over seven years old, 77.6%), time elapsed for symptomatology to evolve (exactly or less than one week in 45% of cases); family history of migraine in 55 cases (58.5%). The most frequent accompanying symptoms were vomiting (38.2%), nausea (22.3%) and abdominal pain (19.1%). Physical exam was normal in 63 cases (67%) while sixteen patients (17%) had neurological focal signs and/or signs of endocranial hypertension (ECHT). Electroencephalography was performed on 94.6% of the patients and proved pathological in 22 cases (25%). Brain computerized tomography (CT) scan was carried out on 92.5% of the patients with space occupying lesions in 3.2% of the cases. The most frequent final diagnosis (52% of patients) was one of migraine. We did not find any patients with intracranial expansionary processes not showing signs of ECHT and/or neurological focalization, for which reason we doubt the profitability of the almost routine practice of carrying out brain CT scan on patients when severe headache is the sole symptom and where there are no specific findings during physical examination.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
