Headaches - Cohen Flashcards
primary vs. secondary HA
primary - no cause
secondary - pathologic cause
primary HAs
migraine
tension
cluster
90% HAs primary
secondary HAs
tumor
meningitis
stroke
SA hemorrhage
worst headache of my life
SA hemorrhage
thunderclap headache
all of a sudden
CT vs. MRI
MRI - more likely to show cause of HA
CT sensitive for SA hemorrhage and faster than MRI
SA bleed imaging
CT best
high opening pressure on LP
pseudotumor cerebri
MC headache
tension
-but don’t go to doc
sick HA, with light and sound sensitivity, worse with activity, grow in intensity, last 24 hours
migraine
aura
visual/sensory deficit - before migraine
criteria for migraine
> 5 attacks lasting 4-72 hours
> 2 of following
- unilateral
- pulsating
- moderate/severe intensity
- aggravated by activity
> 1 of following
- nausea/vomiting
- photophobia/phonophobia
migraine epidemiology
white adult women
mutation Na and Ca channels in neurons
familial hemiplegic migraine
-migrain with one sided weakness for days with HA
suggest genetic component
hormones and migraines
75% patients women - start just after puberty
-end at menopause
triggers
environmental factors that cause migraine
aura
20 minutes before migraine
- visual change
- sensory/motor change
- speech or language change
HA pain
from arteries
meninges
periosteum
CN - V and IX
migraine pathology
not vascular - more important is electrical signaling
neurogenic theory of pathology
cortical spreading depression
prolonged reduction in depolarization and synpatic transmission
believed this is what happens in migraines
pain pathology in migraines
pons very active 30 minutes before increase blood to brain
pons - sends increased frequency of depolarization - to cranial nerve V - increased trigeminal nerve
results in vasodilation and inflammation of dura
trigeminovascular activation
thought to be cause of pain in migraine
-pons > trigeminal > vasodilation and inflammation of dura
serotonin release
occurs in migraine
pons and trigeminal nerve
also GCRP, substance P, and NO are released
excessive serotonin release
inhibitory autoreceptors on presynpatic membrane are stimulated
neurons stop releasing more serotonin
migraine attack eventually ends
sumatriptan
serotonin 1b and 1d agonist
-effective in stopping migraine - bind these inhibitor serotonin autoreceptors - presynaptic membrane
terminate release of serotonin
dull, B/L squeezing non-pulsating HA, no vomiting
feel like tight hat on
tension headache
chronic tension headaches
> 15 days/month with average duration >4 hours
history of >6 months
ensure patient does not take analgesic more than 1/week
medication overuse HA
any pain pill
more than 1/week - increase frequency of HAs
aka rebound HA
tx - limit analgesic to 1/week
sudden stabbing pain behind eye, with tearing and congestion, come in waves - daily for weeks - then stop for months
cluster headache
2/3 horner syndrome
epidemiology of cluster HAs
men
autonomic features of cluster headache
lacrimation, congestion, rhinorrhea, swelling, miosis, ptosis, eyelid edema
idiopathic intracranial HTN
pseudotumor cerebri
progressive diffuse HA with loss of vision one or both eyes - with eye movements
idiopathic intracranial HTN
young obese women
get idiopathic intracranial HTN
association with E and P supps
-also with acutane use
HA gone after spinal tap lose CSF
idiopathic intracranial HTN
papilledema
seen in idiopathic intracranial HTN
also often have extraocular palsy - CN VI, III, IV
tx of idiopathic intracranial HTN
weight loss, steroids, CAIs
shunt if severe
trigeminal neuralgia
tic douloureux
brief shooting pain - triggered by facial contact
often maxillary division
- secondarily mandibular
- rarely ophthalmic
pain with touching face
trigeminal neuralgia
commonly over age 50yo
temporal arteritis
giant cell arteritis
vasculitis
superficial temporal artery - lose pulse
loss of pulse in temporal artery
giant cell arteritis
risk with giant cell arteritis
complete vision loss
diagnosis of giant cell arteritis
elevated ESR and C-reactive protein
confirmed - biopsy superficial temporal artery
tx of giant cell arteritis
curable - with prednisone - need to take long time