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Greige T, Bilello LA, Singleton JM, Edlow JA. Acute headache in pregnant and post-partum patients: A clinical review. Am J Emerg Med 2023; 72:16-19. [PMID: 37451065 DOI: 10.1016/j.ajem.2023.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Revised: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 07/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Headaches during pregnancy and the post-partum period may be due to either an exacerbation of a pre-existing neurological presentation, a new pregnancy-related process, or a non-pregnancy related condition. Key physiologic changes during pregnancy and the post-partum period contribute to the vulnerability of this patient population and the increased risk of complications. OBJECTIVE OF THE REVIEW Review causes of headaches in pregnant and post-partum patients as well as neuroimaging techniques performed. DISCUSSION Headaches are a common complaint for pregnant and post-partum patients. For pregnant patients, a range of serious causes must be considered including cerebral venous thrombosis, posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome and stroke. Primary headaches are responsible for most post-partum headaches, however other causes also include pre-clampsia, cerebral venous thrombosis and post-dural headache. Determining the optimal imaging technique in this vulnerable population remains a challenge given the scarce guidelines. CONCLUSION The greatest difficulty while evaluating pregnant and post-partum patients presenting with an acute headache in an emergency setting is to determine whether the headache is due to a primary disorder such as migraines or is secondary to an underlying, sometimes serious pathology. The following review explores evidenced-based diagnosis of headache in this particular setting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Greige
- Boston Medical Center, Department of Neurology, One Boston Medical Center Pl, Boston, MA 02118, United States of America.
| | - Leslie A Bilello
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, One Deaconess Rd, 2(nd) Floor, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America.
| | - Jennifer M Singleton
- University of Colorado Health Highlands Ranch Hospital, Department of Emergency Medicine, 1500 Park Central Drive, Highlands Ranch, CO 80129, United States of America.
| | - Jonathan A Edlow
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Department of Emergency Medicine, One Deaconess Rd, 2(nd) Floor, Boston, MA 02115, United States of America.
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Abstract
Stroke in pregnant women has a mortality rate of 1.4 deaths per 100,000 deliveries. Vascular malformations are the most common cause of hemorrhagic stroke in this population; preeclampsia and other risk factors have been identified. However, nearly a quarter of strokes have an undeterminable cause. Spontaneous intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) is less frequent but results in significant morbidity. The main objective of this study is to review the literature on pregnant patients who had a spontaneous ICH. A systematic review of the literature was conducted on PubMed and the Cochrane library from January 1992 to September 2016 following the PRISMA guidelines. Studies reporting pregnant patients with spontaneous intraparenchymal hemorrhage (IPH), subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH), and subdural hemorrhage (SDH) were selected and included if patients had non-structural ICH during pregnancy or up to 6 weeks postpartum confirmed by imaging. Twenty studies were included, and 43 patients identified. Twenty-two patients (51.3%) presented with IPH, 15 patients (34.8%) with SAH, and five patients (11.6%) with SDH. The most common neurosurgical management was clinical in 76.7% of patients, and cesarean section was the most common obstetrical management in 28% of patients. The most common maternal outcome was death (48.8%), and fetal outcomes were evenly distributed among term delivery, preterm delivery, and fetal or neonatal death. Spontaneous ICH carries a high maternal mortality with IPH being the most common type, most frequently presenting in the third trimester. Diagnosis and management do not differ for the parturient compared to the non-pregnant woman.
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Brain imaging in pregnant women with acute headache. J Neurol 2018; 265:1836-1843. [DOI: 10.1007/s00415-018-8924-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2018] [Revised: 05/30/2018] [Accepted: 06/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
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Negro A, Delaruelle Z, Ivanova TA, Khan S, Ornello R, Raffaelli B, Terrin A, Reuter U, Mitsikostas DD. Headache and pregnancy: a systematic review. J Headache Pain 2017; 18:106. [PMID: 29052046 PMCID: PMC5648730 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-017-0816-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 10/11/2017] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
This systematic review summarizes the existing data on headache and pregnancy with a scope on clinical headache phenotypes, treatment of headaches in pregnancy and effects of headache medications on the child during pregnancy and breastfeeding, headache related complications, and diagnostics of headache in pregnancy. Headache during pregnancy can be both primary and secondary, and in the last case can be a symptom of a life-threatening condition. The most common secondary headaches are stroke, cerebral venous thrombosis, subarachnoid hemorrhage, pituitary tumor, choriocarcinoma, eclampsia, preeclampsia, idiopathic intracranial hypertension, and reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. Migraine is a risk factor for pregnancy complications, particularly vascular events. Data regarding other primary headache conditions are still scarce. Early diagnostics of the disease manifested by headache is important for mother and fetus life. It is especially important to identify “red flag symptoms” suggesting that headache is a symptom of a serious disease. In order to exclude a secondary headache additional studies can be necessary: electroencephalography, ultrasound of the vessels of the head and neck, brain MRI and MR angiography with contrast ophthalmoscopy and lumbar puncture. During pregnancy and breastfeeding the preferred therapeutic strategy for the treatment of primary headaches should always be a non-pharmacological one. Treatment should not be postponed as an undermanaged headache can lead to stress, sleep deprivation, depression and poor nutritional intake that in turn can have negative consequences for both mother and baby. Therefore, if non-pharmacological interventions seem inadequate, a well-considered choice should be made concerning the use of medication, taking into account all the benefits and possible risks.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Negro
- Department of Clinical and Molecular Medicine, Regional Referral Headache Centre, Sapienza University of Rome, Sant'Andrea Hospital, 00189, Rome, Italy.
| | - Z Delaruelle
- Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - T A Ivanova
- Institute of Professional Education, Chair of Neurology. I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, Moscow, Russia
| | - S Khan
- Danish Headache Center and Department of Neurology, Rigshospitalet Glostrup, -2600, Glostrup, DK, Denmark
| | - R Ornello
- Department of Neurology, University of L'Aquila, 67100, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - B Raffaelli
- Department of Neurology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - A Terrin
- Department of Neurosciences, Headache Centre, University of Padua, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - U Reuter
- Department of Neurology, Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin, 10117, Berlin, Germany
| | - D D Mitsikostas
- Neurology Department, Aeginition Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528, Athens, Greece
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Bekiesińska-Figatowska M, Romaniuk-Doroszewska A, Szkudlińska-Pawlak S, Duczkowska A, Mądzik J, Szopa-Krupińska M, Maciejewski TM. Diagnostic Imaging of Pregnant Women - The Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging. Pol J Radiol 2017; 82:220-226. [PMID: 28507642 PMCID: PMC5406112 DOI: 10.12659/pjr.900071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2016] [Accepted: 08/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Presentation of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings in pregnant women in the Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Institute of Mother and Child, Warsaw, Poland. MATERIAL/METHODS Forty-three symptomatic pregnant women underwent MRI between 9 and 33 weeks of gestation (mean of 23 weeks). Moreover, we included 2 pregnant women who underwent fetal MRI and had incidental abnormalities. RESULTS In 9 cases, we excluded the suspected brain abnormalities. In 4 cases, we found unremarkable changes in the brain without clinical significance. One patient was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, one with cortical dysplasia, one with pineal hemorrhage and one with a brain tumor. On abdominal MRI, 2 patients had normal findings, one patient had colon cancer with a hepatic metastasis, one patient had a hepatic angioma, one patient had an extraadrenal pheochromocytoma, one patient had an abscess in the iliopsoas muscle, 9 patients had myomas, two patients had ovarian simple cysts, two endometrial cysts, three dermoid cysts, one patient had sacrococcygeal teratoma, one patient had a cystadenofibroma (partial borderline tumor), one patient had an androgenic ovarian tumor and two patients had hyperreactio luteinalis. One patient was diagnosed with transient osteoporosis of the hip and one with a stress fracture of the sacral bone. CONCLUSIONS Magnetic resonance imaging is the best imaging modality for pregnant women. Although ultrasonography is the method of choice, doubtful cases as well as structures that cannot be examined with ultrasonography can be non-invasively evaluated with MRI.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Jarosław Mądzik
- Department of Diagnostic Imaging, Institute of Mother and Child, Warsaw, Poland
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Esin OR, Esin RG, Khairullin IK. Headache in pregnancy. Zh Nevrol Psikhiatr Im S S Korsakova 2017. [DOI: 10.17116/jnevro201711721136-142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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Robbins MS, Farmakidis C, Dayal AK, Lipton RB. Acute headache diagnosis in pregnant women: a hospital-based study. Neurology 2015; 85:1024-30. [PMID: 26291282 PMCID: PMC4603601 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000001954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2015] [Accepted: 05/19/2015] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To characterize demographic and clinical features in pregnant women presenting with acute headache, and to identify clinical features associated with secondary headache. METHODS We conducted a 5-year, single-center, retrospective study of consecutive pregnant women presenting to acute care with headache receiving neurologic consultation. RESULTS The 140 women had a mean age of 29 ± 6.4 years and often presented in the third trimester (56.4%). Diagnoses were divided into primary (65.0%) and secondary (35.0%) disorders. The most common primary headache disorder was migraine (91.2%) and secondary headache disorders were hypertensive disorders (51.0%). The groups were similar in demographics, gestational ages, and most headache features. In univariate analysis, secondary headaches were associated with a lack of headache history (36.7% vs 13.2%, p = 0.0012), seizures (12.2% vs 0.0%, p = 0.0015), elevated blood pressure (55.1% vs 8.8%, p < 0.0001), fever (8.2% vs 0.0%, p = 0.014), and an abnormal neurologic examination (34.7% vs 16.5%, p = 0.014). In multivariate logistic regression, elevated blood pressure (odds ratio [OR] 17.0, 95% confidence interval [CI] 4.2-56.0) and a lack of headache history (OR 4.9, 95% CI 1.7-14.5) had an increased association with secondary headache, while psychiatric comorbidity (OR 0.13, 95% CI 0.021-0.78) and phonophobia (OR 0.29, 95% CI 0.09-0.91) had a reduced association with secondary headache. CONCLUSIONS Among pregnant women receiving inpatient neurologic consultation, more than one-third have secondary headache. Diagnostic vigilance should be heightened in the absence of a headache history and if seizures, hypertension, or fever are present. Attack features may not adequately distinguish primary vs secondary disorders, and low thresholds for neuroimaging and monitoring for preeclampsia are justified.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew S Robbins
- From the Departments of Neurology (M.S.R., C.F., R.B.L.), Montefiore Headache Center (M.S.R., R.B.L.), and Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health (A.K.D.), Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY.
| | - Constantine Farmakidis
- From the Departments of Neurology (M.S.R., C.F., R.B.L.), Montefiore Headache Center (M.S.R., R.B.L.), and Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health (A.K.D.), Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Ashlesha K Dayal
- From the Departments of Neurology (M.S.R., C.F., R.B.L.), Montefiore Headache Center (M.S.R., R.B.L.), and Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health (A.K.D.), Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
| | - Richard B Lipton
- From the Departments of Neurology (M.S.R., C.F., R.B.L.), Montefiore Headache Center (M.S.R., R.B.L.), and Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women's Health (A.K.D.), Montefiore Medical Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY
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