Like many medical students I suffered from a number of 'brain tumours'
presenting as severe headache. Fortunately I survived them all and have not
been troubled by this diagnosis for many years. The reason is that I apply
Chaput de Saintonge's test for excluding intracranial causes of headache.
This involves simultaneous pressure on both temporal arteries. If this give relief
while the pressure is maintained the cause of the headache is extracranial. If
other neurological signs are absent this provides strong evidence against an
intracranial cause.
I have not been able to find the slightest evidence that this test has any value,
probably because it hasn't. However if anyone knows of any circumstances in
which it might help I would be interested to know.
D. Mark Chaput de Saintonge
Clinical Skills Centre
The Robin Brook Centre
St Bartholomew's Hospital
West Smithfield
London EC1A 7BE
Telephone 0171 601 8812
email [log in to unmask]
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