Back to List
|
Title:
Author:
Date:
Source:
|
Chronic Daily Headache in Children and Adolescents
Wiendels NJ, van der Geest CM, et al.
Posted: July 2005
Headache 2005; 45:678-683
|
Objective: To describe the clinical
features of children with chronic daily headache (CDH) and examine
the usefulness of the International Classification of Headache
Disorders.
Background: Few data are available on chronic
daily headache and analgesic overuse in children and adolescents
and there are no specific criteria for headache in children.
Results: We reviewed all charts of 79 children and
adolescents with headache. Fifty-seven children had chronic daily
headache for more than 6 months, with a duration of more than
4 hours a day in 60% of them. Quality, severity, and location
of pain varied. Sixty patients used analgesics, 10 patients
more than one type. Thirteen patients used analgesics daily.
In one-third of patients, headache led to frequent school
absenteeism and sleeping problems. Twenty-eight patients could
be classified, 17 patients as chronic tension-type headache,
5 patients as chronic migraine, and 6 patients as probable
medication overuse headache. Fifteen patients did not fit
into any category and 36 could not be classified due to
insufficient data.
Conclusions: Chronic daily headache in children
is a serious disorder. A relatively large number of patients
overuse medication and it leads to frequent school absenteeism
and sleeping problems. It remains difficult to classify their
headaches with the new criteria for headache disorders.
|