Approach to a Patient With Headache Publisher



Mohammadianinejad SE¹ Show Affiliations
Source: Headache and Migraine in Practice Published:2022

Abstract

Most patients with headaches actually have a primary headache disorder such as a migraine or tension-type headache, but this diagnosis should not be made in the presence of red flags, even if the phenotype seems at first glance to be a migraine or tension headache. Warning signs are mostly disclosed by targeted history-taking and less often through examination. Most patients with a secondary headache disorder will actually have a normal examination; it is the history that can reveal the red flag. The patient age at onset, mode of onset, temporal course, accompanying symptoms, exacerbating or relieving conditions, and the particular setting in which a headache occurs are the most important information obtained from a history. The use of an imaging modality or laboratory tests will depend on the initial impression from clinical assessment. © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.