Last reviewed: March 2019
Last updated: June  2018

Summary

Differentials

Common

  • Acute sinusitis
  • Otitis media
  • Menstrual headache
  • Medication withdrawal
  • Medication overuse
  • Cervical paraspinal muscle tenderness
  • Migraine
  • Tension headache
  • Dental caries/wisdom tooth impaction
  • Temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ)
  • Cerebrovascular incident
  • Acute hydrocephalus
Full details

Uncommon

  • Benign intracranial hypertension (pseudotumor cerebri)
  • Brain tumour
  • Hypertensive encephalopathy
  • Eclampsia/pre-eclampsia
  • Pituitary apoplexy
  • Venous sinus thrombosis
  • Epidural haematoma
  • Subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH)
  • Subdural haematoma
  • Meningitis
  • Brain abscess
  • Carbon monoxide poisoning
  • Concussive syndrome/trauma
  • Acute mountain sickness/hypoxia
  • Cluster headaches
  • Trigeminal neuralgia
  • Acute angle-closure glaucoma
  • Giant cell arteritis
  • Zika virus infection
  • Chikungunya
  • Dengue fever
Full details

Contributors

Authors VIEW ALL

Associate Director

Department of Emergency Medicine

Saint Lukes Cornwall Hospital

Newburgh

NY

Disclosures

MTN declares that she has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers VIEW ALL

Director

Department of Emergency Medicine

Mount Sinai School of Medicine

New York

NY

Disclosures

PH declares that he has no competing interests.

Chairman

Department of Emergency Medicine

Mount Sinai School of Medicine

New York

NY

Disclosures

SJ declares that he has no competing interests.

Senior Neurosurgeon

Oslo University Hospital

Professor

University of Oslo

Oslo

Norway

Disclosures

EH declares that he has no competing interests.

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