A study of the ocular pathology of headache in patients presenting to ophthalmic OPD in a tertiary care center

Abstract

Aims: Headache is a common presenting complaint of ophthalmic patients, but it is also a symptom of a wide range of systemic problems some of which are life threatening while others benign. This study aimed to detect the common ocular causes of headache in patients visiting the eye outpatient department (OPD). Settings and Design: This was a cross-sectional, observational study of one year duration conducted in a tertiary care center. Materials and Methods: Demographic data and a detailed history was collected from 395 patients complaining of headache and attending the eye OPD, followed by a detailed ocular examination including visual acuity, refraction, intraocular pressure, slit-lamp examination, and fundus. Statistical Analysis: The data was analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) software version 21. Frequencies and percentages were calculated. A P value of <0.05 was considered significant. Results: There were 298 females (75.4%) and 97 males (24.5%) with headache. Fifty-six point four percent of the headaches occurred in the 21–40-year age group. Forty-seven percent of headaches were ocular, the most common ocular cause being uncorrected refractive errors (21.3%) followed by computer vision syndrome (19%). Fifty-three percent of headaches had non-ocular pathology, of which 33.5% were primary headaches: overall, the most common type of headache in the study. Red flag signs were noted in 21 cases. Conclusion: This study helped to identify and estimate the frequency of ocular and non-ocular causes of headaches. Also, we identified red flag signs which should be looked out for to avoid missing a life-threatening secondary pathology behind the headache.