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Head |
Headache (general) |
Headache — differential diagnosis guide |
- MRI Brain (rule out tumor, stroke, MS, raised ICP, sinus headache)
- CT Scan Head (emergency headache, suspected bleed, trauma, thunderclap headache)
- Lumbar Puncture (suspected meningitis, SAH with normal CT, TB meningitis, viral CNS infection, idiopathic intracranial hypertension)
- Blood Tests: CBC, ESR, CRP, TFT (hypothyroidism), blood glucose, electrolytes (sodium imbalance)
- Eye Tests: visual acuity, refractive error, intraocular pressure, fundus exam
- Sinus X-ray (facial pain, postnasal drip, worse on bending, nasal congestion)
- EEG (seizures, confusion spells, altered consciousness)
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Migraine, tension headache, cluster headache — diagnosed clinically; history and exam sufficient for most cases |
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None
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Most primary headaches (migraine, tension, cluster) require no investigations. Tests reserved for red-flag symptoms. |
Patient presents with symptoms of headache (general) in the head. Recommended tests: mRI Brain (rule out tumor, stroke, MS, raised ICP, sinus headache)
CT Scan Head (emergency headache, suspected bleed, trauma, thunderclap headache)
Lumbar Puncture (suspected meningitis, SAH with normal CT, TB meningitis, viral CNS infection, idiopathic intracranial hypertension)
Blood Tests: CBC, ESR, CRP, TFT (hypothyroidism), blood glucose, electrolytes (sodium imbalance)
Eye Tests: visual acuity, refractive error, intraocular pressure, fundus exam
Sinus X-ray (facial pain, postnasal drip, worse on bending, nasal congestion)
EEG (seizures, confusion spells, altered consciousness). Diagnosis suggests headache — differential diagnosis guide. |
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