Nummular headache in children: A case series and systematic literature review

Abstract

Background: Nummular headache is a rare primary headache disorder potentially disabling and refractory to treatment. Of over 300 reported cases, only 9 are children. Design/Methods: We searched our institutional database and PubMed for “nummular headache” and synonyms and evaluated select articles from reference lists of substantial reviews. Results: Seven children were identified from our institution and nine from 107 unique publications. Mean age at onset was 9.7 and 11.9 years in our cohort and the literature, respectively, with a female:male ratio of 2:1. Location and quality varied, and allodynia was reported in five. Frequency ranged from every other week to continuous. Imaging was normal except in four cases. Migraine was often comorbid. Published cases were frequently refractory to treatment whereas four of our cohort improved with therapy for comorbid migraine. Conclusions: Nummular headache is rarely reported in children. We describe characteristics of seven new and nine previously published pediatric cases.