Abstract

Although most of headaches in children and adolescents are primary headaches, it is very important to diagnose the secondary causes of headaches. Secondary headaches are divided into the 8 disorder groups including psychiatric problems in ICHD II(The International Classification of Headache Disorders 2nd edition). Common etiologies for secondary headaches in children are Infections, disorders of the cranium, neck, eyes, ears, nose, sinuses, teeth, or other facial or cranial structures, disorders of homeostasis, substance or withdrawal from substances, psychiatric disorders and head and/neck trauma. The other causes are cranial or cervical vascular disorders and nonvascular intracranial disorders, which are rare but life-threatening. It is necessary for us to recognize how to approach several causes of secondary headaches in children, and strategies for neuroimaging studies for headache children.