Headache in Otolaryngology: Rhinogenic and Beyond
Preface Headache in Otolaryngology: Rhinogenic and Beyond
Howard Levine, MD Michael Setzen, MD Editors
Many patients present to their physicians with headache or mid facial pain and are certain that it is a “sinus headache.” Specialists of all types, in particular, otolaryngologists, neurologists, allergists, internists, and emergency physicians, are confronted almost daily with patients saying, “Doc, I have a sinus headache and I need an antibiotic.” This initiates a series of questions for the physician because several kinds of headaches occur with symptoms in this location. Also, the diagnosis is challenging because there are frequently associated symptoms of nasal congestion that accompany the headache and the common onset of headache with barometric change. Both of these symptom groups can be present in both sinus headaches and migraine. “Headache in Otolaryngology: Rhinogenic and Beyond” describes headaches ascribed to other causes, in particular, migraine, as well as headaches that actually are a result of sinusitis. This issue addresses the need for the expertise of an otolaryngologist who can obtain a history of nasal and sinus disease, evaluate the interior of the nose, and correlate it to a computed tomographic scan, along with collaboration of neurologists/headache specialists. Because headaches are often a symptom of potentially dangerous conditions that may need emergency workup and referral to the appropriate physician, information in this issue identifies these emergency conditions for the clinician. The approach to the subject of headache in this issue provides information of importance to not only otolaryngologists, but also emergency physicians, allergists, internists, pediatricians, pulmonologists, and family practitioners, who frequently see and manage headache and sinus patients. It provides direct clinical information on history, differential diagnosis, laboratory testing and imaging, and treatment options, along with suggestions for when to refer. It demonstrates the need for a multispecialty
Otolaryngol Clin N Am 47 (2014) xi–xii http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.otc.2013.11.004 0030-6665/14/$ – see front matter Ó 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
oto.theclinics.com
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Preface
team approach in the evaluation of the headache patient, in particular, the patient reporting a “sinus headache” that can be anything but a sinus headache. Howard Levine, MD Acclarent, Inc 1525 O’Brien Drive Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA Michael Setzen, MD NYU School of Medicine Michael Setzen Otolaryngology, PC 600 Northern Boulevard, Suite 312 Great Neck, NY 11021, USA E-mail addresses: [email protected] (H. Levine) [email protected] (M. Setzen)
Preface Headache in Otolaryngology: Rhinogenic and Beyond
Howard Levine, MD Michael Setzen, MD Editors
Many patients present to their physicians with headache or mid facial pain and are certain that it is a “sinus headache.” Specialists of all types, in particular, otolaryngologists, neurologists, allergists, internists, and emergency physicians, are confronted almost daily with patients saying, “Doc, I have a sinus headache and I need an antibiotic.” This initiates a series of questions for the physician because several kinds of headaches occur with symptoms in this location. Also, the diagnosis is challenging because there are frequently associated symptoms of nasal congestion that accompany the headache and the common onset of headache with barometric change. Both of these symptom groups can be present in both sinus headaches and migraine. “Headache in Otolaryngology: Rhinogenic and Beyond” describes headaches ascribed to other causes, in particular, migraine, as well as headaches that actually are a result of sinusitis. This issue addresses the need for the expertise of an otolaryngologist who can obtain a history of nasal and sinus disease, evaluate the interior of the nose, and correlate it to a computed tomographic scan, along with collaboration of neurologists/headache specialists. Because headaches are often a symptom of potentially dangerous conditions that may need emergency workup and referral to the appropriate physician, information in this issue identifies these emergency conditions for the clinician. The approach to the subject of headache in this issue provides information of importance to not only otolaryngologists, but also emergency physicians, allergists, internists, pediatricians, pulmonologists, and family practitioners, who frequently see and manage headache and sinus patients. It provides direct clinical information on history, differential diagnosis, laboratory testing and imaging, and treatment options, along with suggestions for when to refer. It demonstrates the need for a multispecialty
Otolaryngol Clin N Am 47 (2014) xi–xii http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.otc.2013.11.004 0030-6665/14/$ – see front matter Ó 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
oto.theclinics.com
xii
Preface
team approach in the evaluation of the headache patient, in particular, the patient reporting a “sinus headache” that can be anything but a sinus headache. Howard Levine, MD Acclarent, Inc 1525 O’Brien Drive Menlo Park, CA 94025, USA Michael Setzen, MD NYU School of Medicine Michael Setzen Otolaryngology, PC 600 Northern Boulevard, Suite 312 Great Neck, NY 11021, USA E-mail addresses: [email protected] (H. Levine) [email protected] (M. Setzen)
