ANALYSIS OF RISK FACTORS FOR HEADACHE IN VESTIBULAR SCHWANNOMA

The article is devoted to studying the effect of the disease itself and the treatment performed on the development of headache in patients with vestibular schwannoma, as well as to identifying clinical predictors of prolonged disability associated with cephalgia. The aim of the study was to determine the factors associated with severe and long-lasting headache in this category of patients. A cross-sectional observational study was conducted, including 538 patients with primary vestibular schwannoma smaller than 3 cm and a control group of 103 individuals without tumours. The study used a headache disability questionnaire, the hospital anxiety and depression scale, and a vestibular schwannoma symptom questionnaire. It was found that the mean age of the patients was 65 years, 57% were women, and the average interval between treatment and examination was 7.7 years. The results showed that approximately half of the patients continued to experience headaches of varying frequency and severity nearly 8 years after treatment. Severe headache was observed more often in patients under observation than in the control group. It was concluded that the most significant predictors of prolonged severe disability due to headache were patient-dependent factors, including age, sex, mental health, and the presence of headache before the start of treatment.