[Headache in children and adolescent in ambulatory practice]

Headache in children and adolescent represents one of the most frequent and potentially severe pathological conditions, requiring a paediatric consult. The purpose of the study was to establish the headache prevalence from the total paediatric consultations in ambulatory practice as well as to establish the main etiological causes of the headache. The study, including 400 children and adolescents (M/F ratio=150/250, U/R ratio=290/110) with headache selected from 3100 cases between 2003 and 2004, in two practices (one general paediatric office and one paediatric neuropsychiatry office) from the Outpatient Clinic of the "Sf. Spiridon" Hospital of Iasi, has shown a prevalence of headache of 12.9%, the most affected age group being that of 5-12 years (52.5%). The etiologic study proved a high frequency of trauma 46.25%, ophthalmologic diseases 13.28%, psychogenic headache 10.75%, migraine 10%, general causes (infections, anaemia, hypoglycaemia) 9%, ENT causes 6.25%, intracranial causes 0.75%. The study confirms the necessity of a multidisciplinary approach, most causes being benign and the prognosis favourable in most cases.