|
HEADACHE (classified according to pathology) |
(click here for a list of differential diagnoses according to abruptness of onset)
(click here for a list of serious causes of headache with a normal CT head)
|
migrainous: |
classical migraine common migraine |
|
|
complicated migraine: |
hemiplegic ophthalmoplegic basilar artery migraine acute confusional state Alice in Wonderland syndrome |
|
|
non-migrainous vascular headaches: |
systemic febrile infections convulsive states severe hypertension / hypertensive encephalopathy hypoxia and / or hypercapnoea temporal arteritis alcohol excess drugs (antihistamines, nitrates, nifedipine) |
|
|
other headaches: |
cluster headaches ('migrainous neuralgia')muscular contraction headache ('tension headache') |
|
|
psychogenic: |
depression conversion or delusional state hypochondriasis |
|
|
raised intracranial pressure: (traction headache) |
intracerebral tumours (1° or metastases)subdural haematoma cerebral abscess post-lumbar puncture benign intracranial hypertension |
|
|
intra-cranial inflammation: |
meningitis / encephalitis subarachnoid haemorrhage |
|
|
miscellaneous causes: |
post-head injury (partly psychogenic / compensation neurosis)alcohol hangover (early morning headache)dural sinus thrombosis post-ictal (following generalised seizure)food poisoning Paget's disease of skull normal-pressure hydrocephalus trigeminal neuralgia uraemia CO poisoning phaeochromocytoma hypoglycaemia hypothyroidism |
|
|
effort-induced: |
benign exertional headache cough-induced coital cephalalgia |
|
|
referred: |
dental problems temporo-mandibular joint disease otitis media / externa sinusitis cervical spondylosis 'eye strain' acute glaucoma 'ice-cream headache' |
|
click here to return to the main contents page of Differential Diagnoses in General Medicine