J Korean Child Neurol Soc.  1997 Oct;5(1):95-105.

A Clinical Study of Recurrent Headaches in Children and An Application of International Headache Society Classification to Children

• Park SS
• Bae KY
• Kim TH
• Kim EJ
• Hwang KG

Abstract

PURPOSE: Headache is a frequent symptom in pediatric practice, but the prevalence of chronic recurrent headache was estimated in several studies with wide variations, because of inadequate expression and differences in case definition in children. Headache classification of International Headache Society is usually used in adults, but the application of it to children is uncommon, so we tried to diagnosis children with headache by using International Headache Society Classification.
METHODS
We analyzed the clinical pictures, physical examinations including neurologic examination, PNS series, EEG and CT or MRI in 53 children with nonprogressing recurrent headache over than one month, who visited to pediatric department of Dong-A University hospital from January, 1995 to Feburary, 1996 and diagnosed them by using International Headache Society Classification.
RESULTS
1) The sex ratio between male and female was 1:1.2. 2) Diagnosed groups consisted of children with migraines in 22 cases(41.5%), tension-type headache in 19 cases(35.9%), coexisting migraine and tension-type headaches in 5 cases(9.4%), miscellaneous headaches not associated with structual lesion in 1 case(1.9%), headache associated with vascular disorders in 2 cases(3.8%), headache associated with nonvascular intracranial disorder in 1 case(1.9%), headache due to facial pain in 3 cases(5.6%). 3) Of 22 migraine cases, 13 cases(59.1%) had migraine with aura, 8 cases(40.9%) have migraine without aura and of 19 tension-type headache cases, 8 cases(42.1%) have episodic type, 11(57.9%) cases have chronic type. 4) Of 53 cases with recurrent headache, 3 cases(6%) had abnormal findings in CT or MRI. 5) Of 53 cases with recurrent headache, 9 cases(17%) had abnormal findings in EEG.
CONCLUSIONS
International Headache Society Classifications are useful, but the diagnostic criteria are too strict for children, especially in migraine and tension type headache.

MeSH Terms

Adult
Child*
Classification*
Diagnosis
Electroencephalography
Facial Pain
Female
Headache*
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Migraine Disorders
Migraine with Aura
Migraine without Aura
Neurologic Examination
Physical Examination
Prevalence
Sex Ratio
Tension-Type Headache