Pediatric headache attributed to brain tumor.

Overview

Headache is one of the most common neurologic disorders in children with a prevalence between 57-82 %. Affecting only 2.5 per 100,000 persons of the pediatric population, brain tumors in children is less common, but frequently present with headache. However, headache rarely presents as the sole neurologic symptom of a brain tumor in children. According to the International Classification of Headache Disorders Third Edition (ICHD-3), a headache may be attributed to a brain tumor if it is in close temporal relation with the tumor, worsens in parallel with the tumor, and/or improves after the successful treatment of the tumor. Brain tumor headaches are traditionally thought to display specific characteristics, including severe pain intensity, morning occurrence and association with nausea or vomiting. There are no formal criteria for headache attributed to brain tumor in children in ICHD-3. In this review we provide an overview of the ICHD-3 criteria and clinical presentation, and management of headaches attributed to brain tumors in children.