The Case of a 53-Year-Old Female with Headache and Eye Pain

Headaches are both common and challenging, accounting for 4% of ED visits and comprising the eighth most-common complaint seen by primary care physicians. This frequency can create a false sense of security, as there are numerous life-threatening etiologies hiding in the “haystack.”

In this month’s case, our patient was a bounceback on her first visit, having previously seen her PCP and an urgent care doctor.

In addition to a brief discussion of headaches and their differential diagnosis, this article will address the approach to the patient with a high-risk complaint and diagnostic uncertainty.