Headache

Many patients never receive an adequate diagnostic evaluation of their headache

Headache is a ubiquitous and disabling group of neurobiological disorders and is a common complaint of patients consulting their primary care physician. Despite this, most patients never receive an adequate diagnostic evaluation of their headache and, as a result, headache disorders are commonly misdiagnosed and mismanaged.

The headache classification system of the International Headache Society lists 14 types of headache and over 150 headache subtypes and subforms, many of which are attributable to pathological conditions.^[1]

Headache can be a primary disorder or a secondary symptom of another disease or condition. Therefore, an accurate diagnosis of a patient’s headache type is critical in providing appropriate treatment.

Reference:
1. International Headache Society. The International Classification of Headache Disorders: 2nd edition. Cephalalgia 2004;24 Suppl 1: 9-160.