The general physical examination must include determination of vital signs, including blood pressure and temperature. Careful palpation of the head and neck should be performed in a search for sinus tenderness, thyromegaly, or nuchal rigidity. Head circumference must be measured, even in older children, because slowly progressive increases in intracranial pressure cause macrocrania. The skin must be examined for signs of neurocutaneous syndrome, particularly neurofibromatosis and tuberous sclerosis, which are highly associated with intracranial neoplasms.
A detailed neurologic examination is essential. More than 98 percent of children with brain tumors have objective neurologic findings. Key features in children with intracranial disease include altered mental status, abnormal eye movements, optic disc distortion, motor or sensory asymmetry, coordination disturbances, and abnormal deep tendon reflexes.6 Careful physical and neurologic examinations can enable the physician to exclude organic causes.
The role of neuroimaging is controversial. Computed tomographic (CT) scanning or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is indicated in patients with a chronic-progressive headache pattern and those who have abnormal findings in the neurologic examination (Table 3). In the majority of patients with acute-recurrent headache or chronic-nonprogressive headache patterns and normal findings from neurologic examinations, no imaging is warranted. The overwhelming majority of studies evaluating the role of neuroimaging in young patients with headache have demonstrated no diagnostic abnormalities or incidental (nonpathologic) findings.7