Can headache be diagnosed by CT?

Headaches are a condition that many people experience. Headaches occur countless times throughout a lifetime. There are many reasons for headaches, and many diseases can cause headaches. Not only damage to blood vessels and nerves in the brain can cause headaches, but also spinal compression and even low back pain. So, how do we diagnose headaches? Can CT scan show it?

1. Whether there is a family history of headache or not is one of the diagnostic bases for headache.

2. The stripe aversion test is mostly positive, the electroencephalogram examination occasionally shows mild or moderate abnormalities, and there are no abnormal findings in neuroradiology and other auxiliary examinations. The diagnosis of these headaches is relatively common.

3. There may or may not be visual, sensory, motor, or mental precursors or accompanying symptoms, but most are accompanied by autonomic nervous system symptoms such as nausea and vomiting. This is also the basis for the diagnosis of headache.

4. Certain diets, menstruation, mood swings, overwork and other factors can induce it; compression of the common carotid artery, superficial temporal artery, supraorbital artery or short rest or sleep can alleviate the attack. This can also be used as a basis for the diagnosis of headache.

5. Electroencephalogram examination: It is generally believed that the incidence of electroencephalogram abnormalities in headache patients is higher than that in the normal control group, whether in the attack period or the intermittent period. However, the electroencephalogram changes in headache patients are not specific because they may have normal waveforms. There are various waveforms including common slow waves, spike wave discharges, focal spike waves, wave-like waves, and abnormal reactions to hyperventilation and flash stimulation. The abnormal rate of EEG in children with headache is relatively high, ranging from 9% to 70%, and may show spike waves, paroxysmal slow waves, fast wave activity and diffuse slow waves.

6. Cerebral blood flow examination: The main changes in the patient's cerebral blood flow during the attack and intermittent periods are the asymmetry of the amplitude on both sides, one side is higher or the other side is lower.

7. Cerebral angiography: In principle, patients with headaches do not need cerebral angiography. Only when severe headaches occur and patients are highly suspected of having subarachnoid hemorrhage will cerebral angiography be performed to rule out diseases such as intracranial aneurysms and arteriovenous malformations. Undoubtedly, cerebral angiography in the vast majority of patients with headache is normal.

8. Cerebrospinal fluid examination: Routine examination of cerebrospinal fluid of patients with headache is usually normal, and the lymphocytes in the cerebrospinal fluid may increase in general.

9. Immunological examination: It is generally believed that the immunoglobulins IgG, IgA, C3 and E rosette formation in headache patients may be higher than those in normal people.

10. Platelet function test: The platelet aggregation of patients with headache may be increased.