Abstract
A secondary headache in patients with a brain tumor is defined in the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-II) in subchapter 7.4. Headache can be attributed to a brain tumor if it develops in close temporal relation to the neoplasm and improves after effective treatment. Despite the fact that headache is known as a cardinal sign of intracranial tumor, special analysis of this complaint is relatively rare in the literature. The studies performed after the advent of modern neurodiagnostic techniques have pointed out that the “classic” brain tumor headache (i.e., severe, worse in the morning, with nausea and vomiting) is uncommon. Although there are no absolute indications that the headache is related to a brain tumor, a few predictive factors for an intracranial mass (the so called “red flags”) can guide the physician in establishing an accurate diagnosis.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Boiardi A, Salmaggi A, Eoli M, Lamperti E,and Silvani A (2004) Headache in brain tumours: a symptom to reappraise critically. Neurol Sci 25:S143–S147
Childhood Brain Tumor Consortium (1991) The epidemiology of headache among children with brain tumor: headache in children with brain tumors. J Neurooncol 10:31–46
Christiaans MH, Kelder JC, Arnoldus EPJ, Tijssen CC (2002) Prediction of intracranial metastases in cancer patients with headache. Cancer 94:2063–2068
Clouston PD, De Angelis LM, Posner JB (1992) The spectrum of neurological disease in patients with systemic cancer. Ann Neurol 31:268–273
De Angelis LM (2001) Brain tumors. N Engl J Med344:114–123
De Angelis LM, Posner JB (2009) Intracranial metastases. In: De Angelis LM, Posner JB (eds) Neurologic complications of cancer, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 141–193
Dobrovoljac M, Hengartner H, Boltshauser E, Grotzer MA (2002) Delay in the diagnosis of paediatric brain tumours. Eur J Pediatr 161:663–667
Evans RW (1996) Diagnostic testing for the evaluation of headaches. Neurol Clin 14:1–26
Forsyth PA, Posner JB (1993) Headaches in patients with brain tumors: a study of 111 patients. Neurology 43:1678–1683
Frishberg BM (1994) The utility of neuroimaging in the evaluation of headache in patients with normal neurologic examinations. Neurology 44:1191–1197
Froehler MT (2008) Management of elevated intracranial pressure. In: Johnston MV, Gross RA (eds) Principles of drug therapy in neurology, 2nd edn. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 204–233
Giglio P, Gilbert MR (2004) Cancer and the nervous system: clinical features and complications. In: Bradley WG, Daroff RB, Fenichel GM, Jankovic J (eds) Neurology in clinical practice, 4th edn. Butterworth Heinemann, Philadelphia, pp 1363–1369
Goffaux P, Fortin D (2010) Brain tumor headaches: from bedside to bench. Neurosurgery 67:459–466
Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society (2004) The International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edn. Cephalalgia 24(Suppl. 1):1–160
Kirby S, Purdy RA (2007) Headache and brain tumors. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 7:110–116
Levy MJ, Jager R, Powell M, Matharu MS, Meeran K, Goadsby PJ (2004) Pituitary volume and headache: size is not everything. Arch Neurol 61:721–725
Levy MJ, Matharu MS, Meeran K, Powell M, Goadsby PJ (2005) The clinical characteristics of headache in patients with pituitary tumours. Brain 128:1921–1930
Linet MS, Stewart WF (1984) Migraine headache: epidemiological perspectives. Epidemiol Rev 6:107–139
Loghin M, Levin VA (2006) Headache related to brain tumors. Curr Treat Options Neurol 8:21–32
Pfund Z, Szapary L, Jaszberenyi O, Nagy F, Czopf J (1999) Headache in intracranial tumors. Cephalalgia 19:787–790
Ropper AH, Brown RH (2005) Intracranial neoplasms and paraneoplastic disorder. In: Ropper AH, Brown RH (eds) Adams and Victor’s principles of neurology, 8th edn. McGraw-Hill, New York, pp 144–167
Schankin CJ, Ferrari U, Reinisch VM, Birnbaum T, Goldbrunner R, Straube A (2007) Characteristics of brain tumour-associated headache. Cephalalgia 27:904–911
Schoenberg BS, Schoenberg DG, Christine BW (1976) The epidemiology of primary intracranial neoplasms of childhood: a population study. Mayo Clin Proc 51:51–56
Suwanwela N, Phanthumchinda K, Kaoropthum S (1994) Headache in brain tumor: a cross-sectional study. Headache 34:435–438
Valentinis L, Tuniz F, Valent F, Mucchiut M, Little D, Skrap M, Bergonzi P, Zanchin G (2010) Headache attributed to intracranial tumours: a prospective cohort study. Cephalalgia 30:387–388
Vazquez-Barquero A, Ibanez FJ, Herrera S, Izquierdo JM, Berciano J, Pascual J (1994) Isolated headache as the presenting clinical manifestation of intracranial tumors: a prospective study. Cephalalgia 14:270–272
Wilne SH, Ferris RC, Nathwani A, Kennedy CR (2006) The presenting features of brain tumours: a review of 200 cases. Arch Dis Child 91:502–506
Young JL, Miller RW (1975) Incidence of malignant tumors in U.S. children. J Pediatr 86:254–258
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Valentinis, L., Palmieri, A. (2012). Headache Associated with Intracranial Tumors. In: Hayat, M. (eds) Tumors of the Central Nervous System, Volume 4. Tumors of the Central Nervous System, vol 4. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1706-0_34
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1706-0_34
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-007-1705-3
Online ISBN: 978-94-007-1706-0
eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)