Short lasting activity-related headaches with sudden onset in children: a case-based reasoning on classification and

Irene Toldo1, Debora De Carlo, Rodica Mardari

  • 1Juvenile Headache Centre, Department of Woman and Child Health, University of Padua, Via Giustiniani, 3, 35128, Padova, Italy. irene.toldo@unipd.it

Insights

Activity-related headaches in children, though rare, warrant investigation. Early diagnosis and neuroimaging are crucial for identifying serious underlying conditions like brain tumors or Chiari malformation.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Neuroimaging in Children
  • Headache Disorders

Background:

  • Activity-related headaches are uncommon in children and challenging to diagnose.
  • Limited literature exists on pediatric cases of exertional or cough headaches.

Observation:

  • Two pediatric cases of activity-related headaches are presented.
  • Symptoms included sudden, short-lasting attacks triggered by cough or exercise.
  • Neurological examinations were normal in both children.

Findings:

  • Brain MRI revealed cerebellar pilocytic astrocytoma in one child.
  • Chiari 1 malformation was diagnosed in the second child.
  • Both children underwent successful surgical treatment with good prognoses.

Implications:

  • Neuroimaging is essential for children with new-onset, sudden, strain-triggered headaches, even with normal neurological exams.
  • Early diagnosis and intervention are critical for favorable outcomes in pediatric secondary headaches.
  • This highlights the importance of considering serious underlying pathologies in pediatric headache presentations.
Abstract

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