Common diagnoses and factors associated with abnormal neuroimaging in headache patients in the emergency department

Article Figures & Data

Table 1

- Patients’ characteristics at the time of presentation.

Variables	n (%)
Women	219 (66.6)
Age, mean (SD) years	39.7 (18.4)
Post-partum	10 (3.0)
Pregnancy	12 (3.6)
Oral Contraceptive use	13 (4.0)
Known migraineurs	28 (8.5)
Previous neurological disease	48 (14.6)
Previous stroke	16 (4.9)
Seizures	10 (3.0)
Known idiopathic intracranial hypertension	7 (2.1)
Other	16 (4.9)
Hypertension	73 (22.2)
Diabetes Mellitus	63 (19.1)
Connective tissue disease	34 (10.3)
Known hypercoagulable state	4 (1.2)

Data are number (%) unless otherwise noted

Table 2

- Headache characteristics and neurological examination findings.

Data are number (%) unless otherwise noted

Table 3

- Imaging modality and diagnoses (n=329).

Variables	n (%)
Neuroimaging performed
CT head	262 (79.6)
MRI brain	255 (77.5)
Both CT and MRI	188 (57.1)
Abnormal neuroimaging	105 (31.9)
Final diagnosis as reported
Primary headache	54 (16.4)
Migraine	47 (14.3)
Tension-type	5 (1.5)
Cluster	1(.3)
Hemicrania continua	1(.3)
Secondary headache	160 (48.6)
Idiopathic intracranial hypertension	33 (10.0)
Ischemic stroke	21 (6.4)
Brain tumor	19 (5.8)
Intracranial hemorrhage	13 (4.0)
CNS infection	12 (3.6)
Cerebral venous thrombosis	10 (3.0)
Other	52 (15.8)
Non-specific headache	115 (35.0)