Paeds Cases · neurology-neurodisability-and-neuromuscular
Secondary headache and raised intracranial pressure — structured clinical encounter
Structured encounter testing the assessment of a fourteen-year-old girl who presents with obesity, a three-month history of daily headache, transient visual obscurations, pulsatile tinnitus, and new double vision, found on fundoscopy to have bilateral papilloedema: the recognition of the red-flag pattern, the Friedman 2013 diagnostic work-up with magnetic resonance imaging and venography and a lumbar puncture opening pressure, the separation of idiopathic from secondary intracranial hypertension, and the stepwise management that protects vision with weight advice, acetazolamide, and serial visual surveillance.
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Task 1 — Recognise the red-flag pattern and form a problem representation (3 minutes)
From the history and the examination, identify the features that mark this as a secondary headache rather than a primary one, and explain why papilloedema is the pivot of the assessment. State your problem representation in one sentence, and explain the significance of the minocycline and the obesity for the differential diagnosis. [8] [3]
References12ShowHide
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- [4]Park EG; Yoo IH The diagnostic values of red flags in pediatric patients with headache Brain Dev, 2022.PMID 35568652
- [5]Friedman DI; Liu GT; Digre KB Revised diagnostic criteria for the pseudotumor cerebri syndrome in adults and children Neurology, 2013.PMID 23966248
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- [7]Raoof N; Hoffmann J Diagnosis and treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension Cephalalgia, 2021.PMID 33631966
- [8]Gaier ED; Heidary G Pediatric Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Semin Neurol, 2019.PMID 31847041
- [9]Bulkowstein Y; Nitzan-Luques A; Schnapp A; et al The manifestations of metabolic acidosis during acetazolamide treatment in a cohort of pediatric idiopathic intracranial hypertension Pediatr Nephrol, 2024.PMID 37480382
- [10]Wilne S; Collier J; Kennedy C; et al Presentation of childhood CNS tumours: a systematic review and meta-analysis Lancet Oncol, 2007.PMID 17644483
- [11]Wilne S; Koller K; Collier J; et al The diagnosis of brain tumours in children: a guideline to assist healthcare professionals in the assessment of children who may have a brain tumour Arch Dis Child, 2010.PMID 20371594
- [12]Sheridan DC; Waites B; Lezak B; et al Clinical Factors Associated With Pediatric Brain Neoplasms Versus Primary Headache: A Case-Control Analysis Pediatr Emerg Care, 2020.PMID 29135901