Headache in intracranial tumors.

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Neurosurgery
• Oncology

Background:

• Headache is a prevalent symptom, but its specific association with brain tumors requires detailed investigation.
• Understanding the characteristics and predictors of headache in patients with intracranial neoplasms is crucial for early diagnosis and management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze the clinical data of brain tumor patients to determine the prevalence and characteristics of headaches.
• To investigate the relationship between headache symptoms and specific brain tumor types, locations, and associated factors like edema and intracranial pressure.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of clinical data from 279 consecutive patients with brain tumors (1994-1995).
• Categorization of patients into headache and no-headache groups for comparative analysis.
• Evaluation of headache characteristics, tumor type, location, size, and presence of edema.

Main Results:

• 164 out of 279 patients experienced headaches, with a probable link to neoplasm in 139.
• Progressive headaches were observed in 67% of headache patients and correlated with edema, not tumor size.
• Infratentorial and intraventricular tumors were more associated with headache than supratentorial tumors, likely due to CSF circulation disturbance and increased intracranial pressure.

Conclusions:

• Headache is a significant symptom in a considerable proportion of brain tumor patients, often progressive and linked to edema.
• Tumor location, particularly infratentorial and intraventricular, plays a role in headache manifestation, suggesting a link to elevated intracranial pressure.
• While headache can be the first symptom, its characteristics (progressive, lasting hours, developing over weeks/months) and lateralization do not always correlate with tumor site.