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[Primary headaches in children with hydrocephalus who have a ventriculoperitoneal bypass valve]

A Palma-da Cunha Matta1, F J Carod-Artal

  • 1Centro de Rehabilitación Infantil Evandro Carlos de Andrade, Río de Janeiro, Brazil.

Revista De Neurologia
|December 31, 2004
PubMed

Insights

In children with hydrocephalus and bypass valves, primary migraine is the most common cause of headaches. Secondary headaches due to intracranial hypertension are rare in this population.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Neurosurgery
  • Clinical Medicine

Context:

  • Headache is a common complaint in children, often necessitating medical evaluation.
  • Differentiating primary headaches from those secondary to increased intracranial pressure (ICP) in children with hydrocephalus and ventriculoperitoneal (VP) bypass valves can be challenging.
  • Understanding headache etiology in this specific pediatric population is crucial for appropriate management.

Purpose:

  • To classify the types of headaches experienced by children with hydrocephalus and a VP bypass valve.
  • To determine the prevalence of primary versus secondary headaches in this cohort.
  • To investigate the potential causes of headaches in children with treated hydrocephalus.

Summary:

  • A longitudinal study followed 20 children with VP bypass valves for hydrocephalus who presented with recurrent headaches.
  • Headache characteristics were assessed via questionnaire, with suspected intracranial hypertension prompting cerebral tomography.
  • The majority of headaches were primary migraine-type (70%), followed by tension-type (10%). Secondary headaches occurred in 20% of cases, with only one attributed to intracranial hypertension.

Impact:

  • This study highlights that primary migraine is the predominant headache type in children with hydrocephalus and VP bypass valves.
  • The findings suggest that headaches in this population are infrequently caused by VP valve malfunction or increased intracranial pressure.
  • Results aid clinicians in differentiating primary headaches from concerning secondary causes in pediatric hydrocephalus patients.
Abstract

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