Headache in childhood

Abstract

Headache is not rare in childhood. In this study, ninety- eight patients with headache were evaluated retrospectively in terms of clinical and laboratory parameters. Sixty-one (62 %) of them were female and 37 (38 %) were male and their ages ranged from 5-17 (12.3 + 2.9) years. The International Headache Society (IHS) criteria (1988) were used for the diagnosis. Forty-three (43.8 %) and 29 (29.5 %) patients had migraine and episodic tension-type headache respectively. Other causes of headache were as follows: paranasal sinus infection 16 (16.3 %), refractive errors 2 (2 %), arterial hypertension 1 (1 %). In 7 (7.1%) patients, headache type could not be classified. In migraine group, female/male ratio was 26/17. Their ages were between 9-16 (13.04 ± 1.88) years. Only two of them had classical migraine and the others had common migraine.