[Treatment of headaches]

OBJECTIVE: To perform a bibliographic review about headache treatment in childhood and adolescence. SOURCES: Articles were searched through Medline database using the terms: migraine, or headache, childhood, or adolescence, and treatment, during the period between 1966 and 2001. Review articles and case reports were excluded. Only articles dealing with pharmacological, and non-pharmacological treatment of primary headaches were selected. SUMMARY OF THE FINDINGS: A total of 104 articles were found; only those reporting results of the case-control studies, or drug vs. placebo, either blind, or open, and that included children, or adolescents were selected. CONCLUSIONS: Only a few controlled studies about the headache treatment were found in the pediatric age group, although primary headaches are frequently seen in clinical practice. Therefore they constitute an important subject to be studied. Only a few drugs were adequately studied, and in a small number of studies. Both acute and prophylactic treatment were addressed.