TY - JOUR
T1 - Headache attributed to aeroplane travel
T2 - the first multicentric survey in a paediatric population affected by primary headaches
AU - De Carlo, Debora
AU - Toldo, Irene
AU - Tamborino, Agnese Maria
AU - Bolzonella, Barbara
AU - Ledda, Maria Giuseppina
AU - Margari, Lucia
AU - Raieli, Vincenzo
AU - Santucci, Margherita
AU - Sciruicchio, Vittorio
AU - Vecchio, Angelo
AU - Zanini, Sergio
AU - Sartori, Stefano
AU - Gatta, Michela
AU - Verrotti, Alberto
AU - Battistella, Pier Antonio
PY - 2018/11/14
Y1 - 2018/11/14
N2 - 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.
AB - 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.
KW - Aeroplane travel
KW - Airplane
KW - Children
KW - Headache
KW - ICHD-III
KW - Pediatric headache
KW - Primary headaches
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U2 - 10.1186/s10194-018-0939-y
DO - 10.1186/s10194-018-0939-y
M3 - Article
C2 - 30428826
AN - SCOPUS:85056644091
VL - 19
JO - Journal of Headache and Pain
JF - Journal of Headache and Pain
SN - 1129-2369
IS - 1
M1 - 108
ER -