Brain imaging in children referred to pediatric neurology out-patients with headache.

Abstract

Objective: Headaches are common in children and adolescents as well as in adults. Due to the fact that the primary medical concern for children presenting with headache complaints is the possibility of intracranial pathology, nowadays, imaging methods are frequently used in those patients.

Methods: Retrospective data analysis was performed on the records of children who attended the Pediatric Neurology Outpatient Clinic between June 01, 2018, and December 01, 2018, complaining of headaches. Children who had a headache for longer than four weeks and had brain magnetic resonance imaging were included in the study. Brain MRI findings were classified as (1) headache-related and requiring definitive intervention, (2) possibly headache-related abnormalities, (3) headache-related abnormalities that did not require intervention, and (4) normal.

Results: The 387 patients included in the study were between the ages of 2 and 17, with a median age of 10.5 years. Of the patients, 234 were female and 153 were male. The duration of the headache was a median of 12 months. According to brain MRI findings, 253 patients (65%) were in group 4, 79 patients (20%) were in group 2, 54 patients (14%) were in group 3, and 1 patient (0.3%) was in group 1.

Conclusion: The probability of detecting significant abnormalities with brain MRI in children with chronic headaches with normal neurological examination is found to be low. Imaging methods should be kept in mind that they may be useful in diagnosis in selected cases.