Table 2.
Item | Presence of: | Consider Other Conditions: |
---|---|---|
Headache History | Previous history of primary headache Absence of trigger factor |
Worsening of primary headache |
Excessive use of drugs for the attacks | Considering MOH | |
Head or neck trauma | Headache secondary to trauma | |
Worsening with Valsalva, or changes in posture | Altered CSF pressure | |
Pain lasting 15 to 180 min | Cluster headache | |
Pain lasting 2 to 30 min | Paroxysmal hemicrania | |
Neurological Exam | Focal sign Altered consciousness |
Secondary cause of headache (i.e., vascular disorders, altered CSF pressure, neoplasia, CNS infections) |
General examination | Fever | Secondary cause of headache (i.e., CSN infections) |
Prominent cranial parasympathetic autonomic features | TACs | |
Fundus oculi | Papilledema | Idiopathic intracranial hypertension Other secondary causes of headache. |
Drug Response | Indomethacin * | Hemicrania Continua |
MOH: Medication Overuse Headache; CSN: central nervous system; TACs: Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgias; CSF: Cerebrospinal fluid. * The indomethacin dosage necessary for successful treatment ranges from 25 to 300 mg per day, with an average of 100 mg per day. The beneficial effects appear within two days (range, one to five days). On discontinuation, headache reappears in about three days (range, 1 to 14 days).