secondary headache disorders

Last reviewed 01/2018

These include a new headache occurring with another lesion capable of causing it. e.g., headache attributed to intracranial tumour

These are grouped as headache attributed to the following conditions (1):

  • head and neck trauma
  • cranial and cervical vascular disorders
  • nonvascular intracranial disorder
  • a substance or its withdrawal
  • infection
  • psychiatric disorder
  • other facial or cranial structures
  • disorders of homeostasis

Diagnostic criteria for secondary headaches include:

  • 1.another disorder known to be able to cause headache should be present
  • 2.headache should occur in close temporal relationship to other disorder
  • 3. headache should closely resolve or reduce within three months of succesfull treatment or spontaneous resolution of the causative lesion.

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