Case 4 - Headache Flashcards
What are primary and secondary headaches?
Primary headaches have no underlying pathology causing them
Secondary headaches are due to underlying pathology e.g. SOL
What is the pathophysiology of headaches?
Due to ion channel pathology
There is depolarisation at the occipital end of the cell
This then undergoes cortical spreading depression, which is a wave of depolarisation
There’s then sustained suppression of neuronal activity
The cortical spreading depression correlates to migraine symptoms and changes in blood flow
What are the signs and symptoms of a tension-type headache?
Bilateral Pressing/tight pain Mild-moderate No effect on ADL No aura No other symptoms Lasts 30 mins to continuously
What are the signs and symptoms of a migraine?
Uni- or bilateral
Pounding headache, pulsatile
Moderate-severe
May affect ADL/causes avoidance of activities
May get photophobia, sensitivity to loud noises, N and V etc
Aura may be present with or without headache - visual disturbances, change in smell or taste etc.
Lasts 4-72 hours
What are the signs and symptoms of a cluster headache?
Usually unilateral Variable quality Severe Restless/agitated Usually watery/red eye, nose dripping, puffy eye, sweating on the ipsilateral side as the headache No aura 15-180 mins
What could be migraine triggers?
Certain foods - cheese, chocolate, red wine etc
Menstruation - due to drop in oestrogen
Environmental - bright lights, smokey rooms etc.
OCP
Long flights and jet lag
Relaxing after stress
What questions should you ask in the history?
Onset Does posture affect the pain? Sensory/power loss? Are you prone to headaches? Is this the same as previous episodes? Any trigger? Smoking/caffeine use Use of painkillers?
What defines a chronic vs. episodic headache?
Chronic:
- Tension-type and migraines = 15+ days a month for 3+ months
- Cluster = between 1 every other day - 8x a day with a remission period of less than 1 month in a 12 motnh period
Episodic:
- Tension-type and migraines = <15 days a month
- Cluster = remission >1 month
What examinations should you perform?
Basic neuro exam
Fundoscopy - looking for papilloedema and optic disc hemorrhage in raised ICP
CN exam to test for focal neurological deficit:
-Visual fields = large blind spot and peripheral field loss is raised ICP
-Eye movements = CNVI palsy due to raised ICP
Plantar reflex
Gait
Purpuric rash
Pronator drift
When should you consider investigations for a headache?
When there are any of the following:
- Worsening headache with fever
- Symptoms of GCA
- Different character of headache than previously
- Thunderclap onset - max intensity at 5 mins after sudden onset
- Signs of raised ICP - triggered by cough, sneeze or valsalva
- Orthostatic headache
- New onset cognitive dysfunction
- Change in personality
- Accompanied by a reduction in consciousness
- Trauma <3 months ago
What is aura?
Can last 5 mins to 60 mins and can precede and overlap a headache
Can be visual disturbances (scintillating scotoma) or other
But, 20-30% of migraine sufferers don’t get aura
Fully reversible
What are emergency headache symptoms?
Thunderclap onset
Acute onset with neuro signs
Raised ICP with head trauma
New onset headache in 3rd trimester/post-partum
What are red flags for GCA?
New onset headache in someone>50 Tender to the touch Non-pulsatile temporal artery Other CN palsies Linked with polymyalgia rheumatica Responds to steroids (60 mg pred)
Check ESR and CRP
May need temporal artery biopsy
What are 2WW symptoms in a headache?
Features of raised ICP - Orthostatic hypotension, worse on bending over
Headache and new onset seizures
New/progressive focal neurological deficit
History of malignancy
Vomiting without other cause
How do you treat a medication overuse headache?
Stop the offending medication for 2 months- triuptans, OCP, opioids
