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Pediatric headache attributed to brain tumor

Zuhal Ergonul1, Amelia Stone1

  • 1Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY, USA.

Seminars in Pediatric Neurology
|April 11, 2025
PubMed

Insights

Headaches are common in children, but brain tumors are rare. This review covers diagnostic criteria and management for headaches linked to pediatric brain tumors, emphasizing that headache is rarely the only symptom.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Neurology
  • Neuro-oncology

Background:

  • Headache is a prevalent neurologic disorder in children (57-82%).
  • Pediatric brain tumors are rare (2.5 per 100,000) but often present with headache.
  • Headache is seldom the sole neurologic symptom of a pediatric brain tumor.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the International Classification of Headache Disorders Third Edition (ICHD-3) criteria for headaches attributed to brain tumors in children.
  • To outline the clinical presentation and management strategies for headaches associated with pediatric brain tumors.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of ICHD-3 criteria.
  • Analysis of clinical presentation and management of headaches in pediatric brain tumor patients.

Main Results:

  • ICHD-3 criteria link headaches to tumors based on temporal relationship, parallel worsening, or improvement post-treatment.
  • Traditional characteristics of brain tumor headaches include severe intensity, morning onset, nausea, and vomiting.
  • ICHD-3 lacks specific criteria for headaches attributed to brain tumors in children.

Conclusions:

  • Headaches attributed to brain tumors in children require careful evaluation beyond typical headache presentations.
  • Understanding ICHD-3 criteria and clinical features is crucial for diagnosing and managing these cases.
  • Further research may be needed to establish specific diagnostic criteria for pediatric brain tumor headaches.

Keywords:
Brain tumor headacheChildrenInternational classification of headache disorders-3

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