1
|
De Carlo D, Toldo I, Tamborino AM, Bolzonella B, Ledda MG, Margari L, Raieli V, Santucci M, Sciruicchio V, Vecchio A, Zanini S, Sartori S, Gatta M, Verrotti A, Battistella PA. Headache attributed to aeroplane travel: the first multicentric survey in a paediatric population affected by primary headaches. J Headache Pain 2018; 19:108. [PMID: 30428826 PMCID: PMC6755612 DOI: 10.1186/s10194-018-0939-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2018] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND This multicentric survey investigates the prevalence and characteristics of Airplane Headache in children affected by primary headaches. METHODS Patients with symptoms of Airplane Headache were recruited from nine Italian Pediatric Headache Centres. Each patient was handed a structured questionnaire which met the ICHD-III criteria. RESULTS Among 320 children suffering from primary headaches who had flights during their lifetime, 15 (4.7%) had Airplane Headache, with mean age of 12.4 years. Most of the patients were females (80%). The headache was predominantly bilateral (80%) and localized to the frontal area (60%); it was mainly pulsating, and lasted less than 30 min in all cases. Accompanying symptoms were tearing, photophobia, phonophobia in most of the cases (73.3%). More than 30% of patients used medications to treat the attacks, with good results. CONCLUSION Our study shows that Airplane Headache is not a rare disorder in children affected by primary headaches and highlights that its features in children are peculiar and differ from those described in adults. In children Airplane Headache prevails in females, is more often bilateral, has frequently accompanying symptoms and occurs at any time during the flight. Further studies are needed to confirm the actual frequency of Airplane Headache in the general pediatric population not selected from specialized Headache Centres, with and without other concomitant headache condition, and to better clarify the clinical characteristics, pathophysiology and potential therapies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Debora De Carlo
- Juvenile Headache Centre, University of Padua, via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Irene Toldo
- Juvenile Headache Centre, University of Padua, via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Agnese Maria Tamborino
- L'Aquila, Department of Pediatrics, San Salvatore Hospital, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | - Barbara Bolzonella
- Juvenile Headache Centre, University of Padua, via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Maria Giuseppina Ledda
- Department of Child and Adolescent Neuropsychiatry, University Hospital of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy
| | - Lucia Margari
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Department of Neuroscience and Sense Organs, University of "Aldo Moro" Bari, Bari, Italy
| | - Vincenzo Raieli
- Child Neuropsychiatry Unit, Di Cristina Hospital, ARNAS civico, Palermo, Italy
| | - Margherita Santucci
- Department of Child Neuropsychiatry, Università degli Studi di Bologna Scuola di Medicina e Chirurgia, Bologna, Italy
| | - Vittorio Sciruicchio
- Neurologic and Psychiatric Sciences Department, Ist Neurological Clinic, Bari, Italy
| | - Angelo Vecchio
- Department of Child Neuropsychiatry, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy
| | - Sergio Zanini
- IRCCS "La Nostra Famiglia - E. Medea", Pasian di Prato, Udine, Italy
| | - Stefano Sartori
- Juvenile Headache Centre, University of Padua, via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Michela Gatta
- Juvenile Headache Centre, University of Padua, via Giustiniani 3, 35128, Padua, Italy
| | - Alberto Verrotti
- L'Aquila, Department of Pediatrics, San Salvatore Hospital, University of L'Aquila, L'Aquila, Italy
| | | |
Collapse
|