Comorbidity of migraine and headache associated with sexual activity

In order to investigate the comorbidity of migraine and headache associated with sexual activity (HSA), we performed a case-control study based on migraine patients. By means of a questionnaire and a personal interview, 100 migraine patients and 100 control subjects were examined regarding a diagnosis of HSA. In five subjects from the migraine group vs. none from the control group, a diagnosis of HSA could be established (P = 0.021). Previous studies that have demonstrated comorbidity of migraine and HSA were all based on HSA patients. Thus, it can now be concluded that the association between the two headache disorders is bilateral. In addition, the prevalence of HSA in the general population can be estimated to average around at least 0.9%, which concurs with previously published data.     

The headache of SAH responds to sumatriptan

We report the first case of the headache of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) possibly responding to a triptan. Recent evidence suggests that triptans block transmission from the trigeminal nerve to second-order neurons in the trigeminal nucleus caudalis; thus, any meningeal nociceptive process would be aborted. The triptans and ergots are not specific for migraine, but for any process that activates trigeminal fibers, including migraine, cluster headache, SAH, and meningitis. The failure to respond in the reported cases of meningitis may be due to sensitization.     

A headache diagnosis project

BACKGROUND: Despite the availability of objective criteria, the diagnosis of migraine is thought to be missed frequently in primary practice. OBJECTIVE: To determine the most important questions assisting in the clinical diagnosis of migraine headache. METHODS: A cohort of 461 patients referred to headache specialists in Canada was assessed using a pro-forma questionnaire that was completed by the patients alone or administered by the physicians themselves. A final clinical diagnosis was recorded after a complete clinical evaluation. In a subsequent validation study, three questions derived from the results of the first phase of the study were administered to a new cohort of 128 patients, and diagnoses of "migraine" or "not migraine" were recorded according to the decision generated in the first part of the study. The final clinical diagnosis was taken as the "gold standard" for diagnosis, and the results from the two independently derived diagnostic methods were compared. RESULTS: Statistical analysis of the responses from part 1 of the study yielded three questions (related to daily occurrence, unilaterally, and functional impairment) that distinguished between pure migraine and other headache diagnoses with high reliability and validity. The sensitivity and selectivity of the three-question protocol exceeded 91%. CONCLUSIONS: The use of three questions related to headache frequency, laterality, and impact on functioning may represent an attractive screening instrument in primary care practice, alerting physicians to the diagnosis of migraine in patients or to the possibility of a second or alternative headache diagnosis in patients in whom their diagnosis of migraine previously has been made. The presence of multiple headache syndromes in individual patients, as is common in tertiary referral practice, may reduce the discriminating power of the three-question protocol.     

Complicated coital cephalalgia

Three patients with a history of migraine and type-II coital cephalalgia with signs of vertebrobasilar deficiency are presented. Extensive studies including angiography did not show any vascular malformation. Together with the few reports in the literature our cases outline a benign form of complicated coital cephalalgia, possibly resulting from ischaemic disturbances triggered by haemodynamic changes occurring in orgasm.     

蛛网膜下腔出血炎性抑制与头痛的相关性研究

目的 :探讨蛛网膜下腔出血 (SAH)头痛的发生机制是否与 SAH时炎性改变有关 ,同时观察地塞米松的免疫抑制作用对头痛的疗效。方法 :选择意识清醒能主诉头痛者 ,凡病情严重伴有意识障碍以及继发大面积脑梗死伴有痴呆不能主诉头痛者除外。将患者随机分为 4组治疗 :单独应用甘露醇治疗头痛 (甘露醇组 )及在甘露醇应用的基础上行脑脊液置换 (置换组 )、地塞米松鞘内注射 (鞘内组 )和静脉注射 (静脉组 ) ,对比观察 4个组的止痛效果。结果 :根据疗效判定标准 ,各组总有效率分别是 :甘露醇组 2 7.2 7%、置换组 6 6 .6 7%、鞘内组92 .36 %、静脉组 30 .0 0 % ,鞘内组与其它组比较均有显著统计学意义 (P均 <0 .0 1) ,其头痛缓解时间显著延长。结论 :鞘内注射地塞米松治疗 SAH头痛效果显著 ,表明发生质变的血性脑脊液引起蛛网膜下腔广泛的免疫炎性反应是导致头痛的重要原因。     

Benign hot bath-related headache

We describe three cases of women with hot bath-related headache who reported that their severe paroxysmal headache could be provoked by pouring hot water over themselves or by soaking in a hot bath. In one patient, the headache was also brought on by exposure to cold wind. Another patient had headaches after she dived into a pool and started swimming. Neurological examination, routine laboratory tests, electroencephalography, and brain imaging showed no abnormality in any of the patients. Hot bath-related headache is a benign headache unassociated with a structural lesion.     

Assessment of headache diagnosis. A comparative population study of a clinical interview with a diagnostic headache diary

The level of agreement between headache information, attained by clinical interview and headache diary, was evaluated in subjects who frequently suffered from headache and were participating in an epidemiological study of headache. One hundred and six subjects were interviewed and asked to complete a diary for a period of 4-8 weeks; 46% completed the study. For migraine the diary and clinical diagnoses demonstrated agreement in 82%, kappa value 0.57, sensitivity 90% and specificity 64%. For tension-type headache they demonstrated agreement in 87%, kappa value 0.39, sensitivity 97%, specificity 29% and a good agreement of frequency of tension-type headache was also obtained. In migraine, but not in tension-type headache, accompanying symptoms tended to be overestimated in the interview. The diary was not useful for the diagnosis of migraine with aura, but proved valuable in distinguishing between migraine and tension-type headache, and in the identification of coexisting headache disorders. Combined use of a diagnostic diary and clinical interview is recommended.     

Prevalence and diagnosis of migraine in patients consulting their physician with a complaint of headache: data from the Landmark Study

CONTEXT: Headache experts have suggested that to improve the recognition of migraine, patients with a stable pattern of episodic, disabling headache and a normal physical exam should be considered to have migraine in the absence of contradictory evidence. The premise upon which this approach is based-that is, that episodic, recurrent primary headache in the clinic is usually migraine-has not been evaluated in prospective clinical studies. OBJECTIVES: To (1) evaluate the diagnoses of patients consulting their physician with primary episodic headache and (2) compare clinic diagnoses and patient self-diagnoses with International Headache Society (IHS) headache diagnoses assigned on the basis of longitudinal data from patient diaries. DESIGN: Prospective, open-label study. During the screening visit, patients self-reported a headache diagnosis and then were assigned a headache diagnosis by their physician following his or her customary practice. Patients with a new physician diagnosis of migraine or nonmigraine primary headache were given diaries to record headache symptoms for up to 3 months or 6 attacks. Members of an expert panel, unaware of the clinic diagnosis, used diary data to assign a headache diagnosis to each attack and to each patient. SETTING: One hundred twenty-eight (128) practices in 15 countries including the United States. PATIENTS: A total of 1203 male and female patients between 18 and 65 years of age who consulted their physician with headache as a primary or secondary complaint. RESULTS: Overall, 94% of patients with a physician diagnosis of nonmigraine primary headache or a new clinic diagnosis of migraine had IHS-defined migraine (76%) or probable migraine (migrainous) (18%) headache on the basis of longitudinal diary data. A new clinic diagnosis of migraine was almost always correct: 98% of patients with a clinic diagnosis of migraine had IHS-defined migraine (87% of patients) or probable migraine (11% of patients) headache on the basis of longitudinal diary data. On the other hand, review of diaries of patients with a clinic diagnosis of nonmigraine revealed that 82% of these patients had IHS-defined migraine (48%) or probable migraine (34%) headache. Altogether, one in four patients (25%) with IHS-defined migraine according to longitudinal diary data did not receive a clinic diagnosis of migraine. CONCLUSIONS: These findings support the diagnostic approach of considering episodic, disabling primary headaches with an otherwise normal physical exam to be migraine in the absence of contradictory evidence. If in doubt of diagnosis or when assigning a nonmigraine diagnosis, strong consideration should be given to the use of a diary to confirm primary headache diagnosis.     

A 3-year follow-up of headache diagnoses and symptoms in Swedish schoolchildren

Information is sparse concerning the incidence and prognosis of headache in children from the general population, especially of tension-type headache. In this study, headache diagnoses and symptoms were reassessed in 122 out of 130 schoolchildren after 3 years. Nearly 80% of those with headache at first evaluation still reported headache at follow-up. Although the likelihood of experiencing the same headache diagnosis and symptoms was high, about one-fifth of children with tension-type headache developed migraine and vice versa. Female gender predicted migraine and frequent headache episodes predicted overall headache at follow-up. The estimated average annual incidence was 81 and 65 per 1000 children, for tension-type headache and migraine, respectively. We conclude that there is a considerable risk of developing and maintaining headache during childhood. Headache diagnoses should be reassessed regularly and treatment adjusted. Girls and children with frequent headache have a poorer prognosis and therefore intervention is particularly important in these groups.     

Unilaterality of headache in classic migraine

The localization of a headache is a matter of importance for the diagnosis. Migraine is considered to be a unilateral headache. There is, however, only limited information available on the constancy of the unilaterality: how frequently is the pain locked to one side? This aspect is of importance in the differential diagnosis vs. cervicogenic headache, where the pain persistently seems to occur on the one side. In the present study, 31 cases (26F, 5M with a mean age of 40 years; range: 17-63) with a diagnosis of classic migraine were questioned with regard to laterality of headache at the first consultation. A unilaterality as such was present in 42%; unilaterality alternated with bilaterality in 42% of the cases; unilaterality in some form was therefore found in 84% of the cases. In classic migraine, unilaterality thus seems to outweigh bilaterality. In every case of unilaterality there was a sideshift. A side-locked unilaterality thus seems to be a rare phenomenon in classic migraine. These patients were followed-up after between 3 and 9 years; they then filled in a questionnaire (response rate: 81%). The consistency between the two sets of information in the responders was good. Only one case (possibly two) showed a side-locked unilaterality at the time of the questionnaire.     

Benign cough headache

Benign cough headache is an uncommon primary headache disorder marked by short-lasting attacks of pain triggered by coughing. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain is required to assure that the cough headache is truly benign. The aetiology of the pain is unclear, but is probably associated with the brief increased intracranial pressure that attends coughing. We have reviewed the clinical features, aetiology, differential diagnosis, management, and prognosis of benign cough headache.     

Sentinel headaches in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage: what is the true incidence? A systematic review

The aim of this systematic review was to determine the incidence of sentinel headache reported by patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage, and whether they are likely to be due to recall bias or to misdiagnosis of a previous haemorrhage. Nine studies of good quality, which reported the number of patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage with a history of sentinel headache, gave rates of 10% to 43%. Two case-control studies, in which the frequency of a history of sentinel headache in patients with aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage was compared with that in controls with non-aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage or with stroke, gave an incidence of 5% (95% confidence interval 0.5, 16) in controls, suggesting that only a small number of apparent sentinel headaches are due to recall bias. Sentinel headaches appear to be a real entity. Their true incidence may vary from near zero to about 40% according to the rate of misdiagnosis in the community under consideration.     

炎性抑制与蛛网膜下腔出血后头痛的关系

目的探讨蛛网膜下腔出血(SAH)后头痛的发生是否与蛛网膜下腔炎性改变有关,同时观察地塞米松的免疫抑制作用对头痛的疗效.方法将80例意识清醒、能主诉头痛的SAH患者随机分为4组:单独应用甘露醇治疗组(甘露醇组)、在应用甘露醇基础上行脑脊液置换组(置换组)、地塞米松鞘内注射组(鞘内组)和静脉注射组(静脉组),观察各组患者的止痛效果.结果各组的总有效率分别为:甘露醇组27.27%、置换组66.67%、鞘内组92.36%、静脉组30.00%,鞘内组疗效与其他组疗效的差异有显著性意义,且头痛缓解时间显著延长( P<0.01).结论发生质变的血性脑脊液引起的蛛网膜下腔广泛免疫炎性反应是导致头痛的重要原因,鞘内注射地塞米松治疗SAH后头痛效果显著.     

"Cervicogenic headache": Clinical manifestation

The main criteria of "cervicogenic headache" are considered to be as follows: relatively rare and long-lasting unilateral attacks of severe headache, although seemingly of a non-excruciating character, signs of neck involvement, and lack of "cluster pattern". In the present communication, the clinical manifestations in 11 patients fulfilling these criteria are described. All 11 patients selected in accordance with these criteria proved to be females, the age at onset ranging from 6 to 40 years (mean, 30 years). The mean duration of symptoms was 13 years. Six patients had had previous head/neck injuries. All patients had pain periorbitally, in the temporal region, and in the low occipital region (nape of the neck); less frequent were frontal, parietal, and facial pain and pain in the upper part of the occipital region. The duration of attacks was from 3 h to 3 weeks, and the interval between attacks lasted from 2 days to 2 months. The commonest accompanying phenomena were phonophobia, dizziness, ipsilateral eyelid edema, ipsilaterally blurred vision, and irritability. Some of the patients also had nausea (n = 7) and vomiting (n = 6). On physical examination, slight to moderate reduction of movements in the neck was noted, and five patients had ipsilaterally reduced sensation for touch in the trigeminal area. All the patients except one were severely afflicted. Attacks could, in addition to occurring spontaneously, be precipitated in all patients by head movements or by pressure at specific points in the neck.