Too many brain scans for headaches, study suggests

Too many patients are getting
unnecessary brain scans for headaches,
and that use is growing, according to a
new study.
Since most headaches are benign,
guidelines have recommended against
routine MRIs or CT scans. Yet doctors
frequently order these expensive scans
anyway, the researchers say.
"During headache visits, brain scans are
ordered an incredible amount of the
time," said lead researcher Dr. Brian
Callaghan, an assistant professor of
neurology at the University of Michigan
Health System, in Ann Arbor.
"There are a lot of MRIs and a lot of CTs
and that adds up to a lot of money," he
pointed out. "It's about $1bn a year."
Brain scans for headaches jumped from
about 5 percent of patient visits in 1995
to nearly 15 per cent in 2010, the
researchers found.
While brain scans are good for some
patients, they are unnecessary for most,
Callaghan noted. "Most people with
headaches don't need any testing," he
said.
Among the reasons these tests are not
recommended is that they can often
find some abnormality, which although
benign, could lead to further
unnecessary tests and treatment, he
explained.
"In one to tyhree per cent of people
you will find something on the MRI,
whether it be a tumor or blood vessel
malformation. You don't want to find
something you weren't looking for. It
can be anxiety provoking," Callaghan
said.