Summary
Differentials
Common
- Tension headache
- Migraine
- Acute sinusitis
- Otitis media
- Menstrual headache
- Medication withdrawal
- Medication overuse
- Cervical paraspinal muscle tenderness
- Dental caries/wisdom tooth impaction
- Temporomandibular joint syndrome (TMJ)
- Acute hydrocephalus
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
- Paroxysmal hemicrania
- Trigeminal neuralgia
- Acute angle-closure glaucoma
- Giant cell arteritis
- Zika virus infection
- Chikungunya
- Dengue fever
- Stroke
Contributors
Authors
Meika T. Neblett, MD, MS
Associate Director
Department of Emergency Medicine
Saint Lukes Cornwall Hospital
Newburgh
NY
Disclosures
MTN declares that she has no competing interests.
Peer reviewers
Paul Hamilton, MD
Director
Department of Emergency Medicine
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York
NY
Disclosures
PH declares that he has no competing interests.
Sheldon Jacobson, MD, FACP, FACEP
Chairman
Department of Emergency Medicine
Mount Sinai School of Medicine
New York
NY
Disclosures
SJ declares that he has no competing interests.
Eirik Helseth, MD, PhD
Senior Neurosurgeon
Oslo University Hospital
Professor
University of Oslo
Oslo
Norway
Disclosures
EH declares that he has no competing interests.
Guidelines
- Headaches in over 12s: diagnosis and management
- ACR appropriateness criteria: headache
GuidelinesPatient leaflets
Migraine
Meningitis and septicaemia
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