Diagnostic Value of Headache in Intracranial Tumors 1994.2.7

Diagnostic Value of Headache in Intracranial Tumors 1994.2.7

1. Duration of Headache

Benign tumors have a longer disease course, with an average headache duration of over 3 years. Most of these are meningiomas, a few are neurofibromas, and very few are astrocytomas; malignant tumors have a shorter duration, ranging from several weeks to just a few hours, with most lasting less than 4 months.

2. Location of Headache

It is generally believed that headache location has no localization significance for intracranial tumors. However, among 192 patients with headaches in the frontal, temporal, parietal, or occipital regions, surgical confirmation revealed that 100 tumors were located in the same hemisphere as the headache.

3. Severity of Headache

Supratentorial tumors grow slowly, resulting in relatively mild headaches. Malignant tumors, on the other hand, cause short-lived, severe pain—often sudden and explosive at first, followed by persistent pain that worsens in bursts. Common malignant tumors include gliomas and malignant ependymomas, and some patients may experience frequent headaches due to rapid tumor growth.

4. Associated Symptoms of Headache

Visual impairment occurs in 72% of cases, epilepsy in 36%, hemiplegia or hemisensory deficits in 35%, cranial nerve damage in 18.3%, and consciousness disturbance in 2.6%.