TY - JOUR T1 - Common diagnoses and factors associated with abnormal neuroimaging in headache patients in the emergency department JF - Neurosciences Journal JO - Neurosciences (Riyadh) SP - 36 LP - 41 DO - 10.17712/nsj.2023.1.20220042 VL - 28 IS - 1 AU - Mohammed H. Alanazy AU - Hassan Almalak AU - Malak Alaboudi AU - Abdullah Abujamea AU - Abdul Albilali AU - Taim Muayqil Y1 - 2023/01/01 UR - http://nsj.org.sa/content/28/1/36.abstract N2 - Objectives: To determine causes of headaches in patients who presented to the emergency department (ED) and underwent neuroimaging, and to determine the clinical features associated with abnormal neuroimaging.Methods: Patients were retrospectively selected from a database between June, 2015 and May, 2019. Patients were included if they had neuroimaging requested from the ED mainly for headache. Associations between clinical characteristics and abnormal neuroimaging were assessed.Results: We included 329 patients (33.4% men, 66.6% women). The mean (SD) age was 39.7 (18.4) years. Neurological signs were reported in 43.8% of the patients, head-computed tomography was requested in 79.6%, magnetic resonance imaging in 77.5%, and both in 57.1%. Abnormal neuroimaging was reported in 31.9%. The most common reported diagnoses were secondary headache disorders (48.9%), followed by primary headache disorders (16.4%). The remainder were nonspecific-headaches (35%). Variables associated with abnormal neuroimaging were headache onset ≤1 month (OR 3.37, CI 1.47–7.70, p=0.004), and presence of an abnormal neurological sign (OR 3.60, CI 1.89–6.83, p<0.001).Conclusion: Secondary headache disorders are common in patients who undergo neuroimaging in the ED. Those who have a neurological sign and recent onset of headache are more likely to have abnormal neuroimaging. ER -