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Ominous Causes of Headache

  • Chronic Pain Medicine (O Viswanath, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose of Review

While primary headaches like migraines or cluster headaches are prevalent and often debilitating, it's the secondary headaches—those resulting from underlying pathologies—that can be particularly ominous. This article delves into the sinister causes of headaches, underscoring the importance of a meticulous clinical approach, especially when presented with red flags.

Recent Findings

Headaches, one of the most common complaints in clinical practice, span a spectrum from benign tension-type episodes to harbingers of life-threatening conditions. For the seasoned physician, differentiating between these extremes is paramount.

Summary

Headache etiologies covered in this article will include subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), cervical artery dissection, cerebral venous thrombosis, meningitis, obstructive hydrocephalus, and brain tumor.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island, USA

    Latha Ganti & Thor S. Stead

  2. University of Central Florida College of Medicine, Orlando, FL, USA

    Latha Ganti & S. Chandana Veluri

  3. Envision Healthcare, Nashville, TN, USA

    Latha Ganti & Richard Rieck

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  1. Latha Ganti
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  2. S. Chandana Veluri
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LG, SCV, and TS wrote the main manuscript text and RR prepared figure 1 and tables. All authors reviewed the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Latha Ganti.

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Ganti, L., Veluri, S.C., Stead, T.S. et al. Ominous Causes of Headache. Curr Pain Headache Rep 28, 73–81 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-023-01202-6

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