Paroxysmal hemicrania and hemicrania continua: Review on pathophysiology, clinical features and treatment.

Paroxysmal hemicrania and hemicrania continua are indometacin-sensitive trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias, a terminology which reflects the predominant distribution of the pain, observable cranial autonomic features and shared pathophysiology. Understanding the latter is limited, both by low prevalence and the intricacies of studying brain function, requiring multimodal techniques to glean insights into such disorders. Similarly obscure is the curious response to indometacin.

Guidelines for the management of trigeminal neuralgia.

Guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of patients with trigeminal neuralgia (TN) advocate for a multidisciplinary team approach to improve the care of patients with acute and chronic TN. Evidence-based discussions and decisions are encouraged to establish care pathways for prompt diagnosis and treatment, and long-term outcomes data collection to improve care. The guidelines include summary materials for patients to inform them about their condition and available treatments.

Secondary cough headache: Independent course of headache and response to a COX-2 inhibitor.

We report on two patients with secondary cough headache who responded to the cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2) inhibitor etoricoxib and showed an independent temporal course. This case report shows that secondary cough headache can also respond to medical treatment and can respond to a COX-2 inhibitor, not previously reported. As is seen in primary cough headache, the headache disorder can go into natural remission (case 1) while the secondary pathology progresses and conversely, persist once the secondary pathology has resolved (case 2).

Etoricoxib and celecoxib sensitive indomethacin-responsive headache disorders.

Indomethacin-responsive headaches encompass a group of disorders which include a subset of the trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias and other paroxysmal, often precipitated primary headaches. Many patients show a rapid therapeutic response to indomethacin, which is limited by intolerability. Etoricoxib and celecoxib, selective inhibitors of cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX-2), spare gastroduodenal COX-1 activity and are less likely to cause gastrointestinal adverse effects than indomethacin.

The efficacy of botulinum toxin type-A for intractable chronic migraine patients with no pain-free time.

Aim: This is a retrospective report of the efficacy of botulinum toxin-A, Botox (Allergan), in intractable chronic migraine patients non-responsive to previous pharmacological management and with largely no pain-free time, including those with new onset daily persistent headache.

Methods: Thirty-three patients, all with severe Headache Impact Test (HIT)-6 scores at baseline, received 3-monthly injections of Botox as per Phase III REsearch Evaluating Migraine Prophylaxis Therapy (PRE-EMPT) protocol over a maximum 33-month period. Response criteria were a sustained reduction of HIT-6 scores below 60.

Isolated headache is not a reliable indicator for brain cancer: the 2-week wait pathway for suspected CNS malignancies.

Introduction: The UK uses the 2-week-wait (2WW) pathway for rapid access to cancer services. It is unclear whether this is effective for brain cancer.

Methods: We retrospectively analysed all 2WW referrals for brain cancer between 2009 and 2016 in a district general neurology department.

Time to retire 'New daily persistent headache': Mode of onset of chronic migraine and tension-type headache.

New daily persistent headache is described as an enigmatic condition with daily headache from onset. It has posed challenges diagnostically and therapeutically. We conducted a study of patients referred to headache services based in Central and North-East London, United Kingdom, meeting the International Classificaiton of Headache Disorders - 3 criteria for New daily persistent headache.

Changes in peripheral and central sensitization in patients undergoing occipital nerve stimulation.

Introduction: Central sensitization and impaired conditioned pain modulation (CPM) response have been reported to contribute to migraine progression. Migraine patients can present with allodynia possibly attributed to increased sensitivity of peripheral ends of nociceptors with both peripheral and central sensitization. Occipital nerve stimulation (ONS) works by stimulating the distal branches of C1, C2 and C3 possibly altering the nociceptive traffic to the trigemino-cervical complex, brainstem and supranuclear connections.

Other primary headaches-thunderclap-, cough-, exertional-, and sexual headache.

This article reviews the disorders of thunderclap, cough, exertional and sexual headache. These are a group of paroxysmal and precipitated headaches, which often occur in bouts with prolonged remissions. Indometacin seems to be the most effective preventative.

Paroxysmal Hemicrania.

Paroxysmal hemicrania (PH) is a primary headache disorder belonging to the group of trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias(TACs). Patients typically experience intense lateralzsed headaches with pain primarily in the ophthalmic trigeminal distribution (V1) associated with superimposed ipsilateral cranial autonomic features. PH is distinguished from other TACs by an exquisite responsiveness to therapeutic doses of indomethacin.

Other primary headaches.

The 'Other Primary Headaches' include eight recognised benign headache disorders. Primary stabbing headache is a generally benign disorder which often co-exists with other primary headache disorders such as migraine and cluster headache. Primary cough headache is headache precipitated by valsalva; secondary cough has been reported particularly in association with posterior fossa pathology.

Primary Headache Disorders: Focus on Migraine.

Migraine is the most common disabling headache disorder.Most patients with disabling tension-type headache are likely to have migraine and accordingly respond to treatments efficacious in migraine.Individuals are genetically predisposed to experiencing recurrent migraine.

Familial hemicrania continua.

There are now three known causative genes for familial hemiplegic migraine and increasing evidence to support a genetic predisposition to the more common types of migraine with and without aura, and for cluster headache. We present the first reported case of familial hemicrania continua. A mother and daughter developed hemicrania continua at the same time of life.

Imaging patients with suspected brain tumour: guidance for primary care.

The number of referrals by primary care practitioners to secondary care neurology services, particularly for headache, may be difficult to justify. Access to imaging by primary care practitioners could avoid referral without compromising patient outcomes, but the decision to refer is based on a number of complex factors. Due to the paucity of rigorous evidence in this area, available data are combined with expert opinion to offer support for GPs.

Recurrent anterior chamber hemorrhage from an intraocular lens simulating amaurosis fugax.

Uveitis-glaucoma-hyphema syndrome is a rare late complication of anterior segment surgery. We present 2 unusual cases of this syndrome that were mistakenly diagnosed as amaurosis fugax, leading to contraindicated treatment. These cases illustrate the need for ophthalmologic examination during an episode of symptoms.

Headache and migraine.

Headache is the commonest neurological presentation. Most patients have a benign pain disorder. The majority manage themselves with over-the-counter medications.

Does chronic daily headache arise de novo in association with regular use of analgesics?

Background: The prevalence of chronic daily headache in association with regular use of analgesics is about 2%. Whether regular use of analgesics has a causal or consequential relationship to daily headache has not been established. A causal relationship has been suggested consequent to the observation of improvement or resolution of headache following analgesic withdrawal in patients attending headache clinics, but this observation has not been validated by controlled trials.