The occurrence and persistence of headache after closed head injury was investigated in 129 children, 70 boys and 59 girls, during a follow-up period, average 5.9 yrs., in the Depts of Neuropsychology and Child Neurology, State University Hospital, P.O. Box 9600, 2300 RC Leiden, The Netherlands. During hospitalization, complaints of headache occurred in 34 children (29%), especially in girls and in those with serious EEG abnormalities. The incidence of headache at 6 mos, 1 year, and 6 yrs after the accident was 23%, 23%, and 25%, respectively. The patients with complaints were different in each group and could not be distinguished from headache-free patients with regard to age, sex, duration of coma, skull fracture, and the EEG. Complaints of headache after hospitalization for closed head injury did not appear to be accident related. [1]
COMMENT. The percentage of children (25%) suffering from headache at an extended period after closed head injury in this study is similar to that previously reported by others [2]. Assumptions that the headaches are accident-related do not appear to be justified, and other possible causes should be investigated.