The role of neuroimaging in headache

Headaches are a universal experience and one of the most common causes for physician consultation. The physician must determine whether a neuroimaging study is warranted to aid in the diagnosis of primary or secondary headaches. Guidelines on neuroimaging of headache patients have been developed based on review of the literature; however, their applicability must be adapted to specific clinical situations. In general, neuroimaging is most likely to be useful if the history is not typical of a primary headache type (e.g., tension type, migraine, cluster headaches) or the neurological examination is abnormal. Neuroimaging has been crucial in the investigation of the pathogenesis of migraine and cluster headaches. Secondary headaches, which may be diagnosed by neuroimaging studies, include subarachnoid hemorrhage, cerebral venous thrombosis, cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy, aqueductal stenosis, and arterial dissection.