Matching Red Flag Findings With a Cause for Headache
Suggestive Findings | Causes |
|---|---|
Neurologic symptoms or signs (eg, altered mental status, confusion, neurogenic weakness, diplopia, papilledema, focal neurologic deficits) | Encephalitis, subdural hematoma, subarachnoid hemorrhage, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, intracerebral hemorrhage, tumor, other intracranial mass, increased intracranial pressure |
Immunosuppression or cancer | Central nervous system infection, metastases |
Meningismus | Meningitis, subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural empyema |
Onset of headache after age 50 | Increased risk of a serious cause (eg, tumor, giant cell arteritis) |
Thunderclap headache (severe headache that peaks within a few seconds) | Subarachnoid hemorrhage |
Combination of fever, weight loss, visual disturbances, jaw claudication, temporal artery tenderness, and proximal myalgias | Giant cell arteritis |
Systemic symptoms (eg, fever, weight loss) | Cancer, HIV infection |
Progressively worsening headache | Secondary headache |
Red eye and halos around lights |