10th June 2021

A 36-year-old man attends an emergency GP appointment with a severe headache

A 36-year-old man attends an emergency GP appointment with a severe headache. He describes having had several attacks of this headache every day for the past week, which feels like “someone is drilling into” his brain. The attacks come on quickly and last around 30 minutes, and paracetamol and ibuprofen have not been effective. He has been under a lot of stress at work recently and is even more worried because he has lost around a stone in weight over the last month, and feels excessively fatigued.

What investigation should be arranged, based on the clinical features described?

Select the SINGLE most appropriate option from the list below. Select ONE option only.