Neuroimaging Findings of First-Visit Headache Patients
- Author:
Byung Su KIM
1
;
Soo Kyoung KIM
;
Jae Moon KIM
;
Heui Soo MOON
;
Kwang Yeol PARK
;
Jeong Wook PARK
;
Jong Hee SOHN
;
Tae Jin SONG
;
Min Kyung CHU
;
Myoung Jin CHA
;
Byung Kun KIM
;
Soo Jin CHO
Author Information
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords: Headache disorders primary; Headache disorders secondary; Neuroimaging; Magnetic resonance imaging
- MeSH: Brain Ischemia; Brain Neoplasms; Cerebrovascular Disorders; Classification; Cranial Nerve Diseases; Diagnosis; Female; Headache Disorders; Headache; Humans; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neuroimaging; Referral and Consultation
- From:Journal of the Korean Neurological Association 2018;36(4):294-301
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
- Abstract: BACKGROUND: Neuroimaging can play a crucial role in discovering potential abnormalities to cause secondary headache. There has been a progress in the fields of headache diagnosis and neuroimaging in the past two decades. We sought to investigate neuroimaging findings according to headache disorders, age, sex, and imaging modalities in first-visit headache patients. METHODS: We used data of consecutive first-visit headache patients from 9 university and 2 general referral hospitals. The International Classification of Headache Disorders, third edition, beta version was used in headache diagnosis. We finally enrolled 1,080 patients undertook neuroimaging in this study. RESULTS: Among 1,080 patients (mean age: 47.7±14.3, female: 60.8%), proportions of headache diagnosis were as follows: primary headaches, n=926 (85.7%); secondary headaches, n=110 (10.2%); and cranial neuropathies and other headaches, n=43 (4.1%). Of them, 591 patients (54.7%) received magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Neuroimaging abnormalities were found in 232 patients (21.5%), and their proportions were higher in older age groups and male sex. Chronic cerebral ischemia was the most common finding (n=88, 8.1%), whereas 76 patients (7.0%) were found to have clinically significant abnormalities such as primary brain tumor, cancer metastasis, and headache-relevant cerebrovascular disease. Patients underwent MRI were four times more likely to have neuroimaging abnormalities than those underwent computed tomography (33.3% vs. 7.2%, p <0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the findings of neuroimaging differed according to headache disorders, age, sex, and imaging modalities. MRI can be a preferable neuroimaging modality to identify potential causes of headache.
