Module 3C Neurology and Vision - Conditions DONE Flashcards
Basic pain pathway
- Nociceptors (pain receptors) at the end of nerves detect damage to tissues
- Nerve signals are transmitted along the afferent nerves to the spinal cord
- The signal then travels in the CNS, up the spinal cord (mainly in the spinothalamic tract and spinoreticular tract) to the brain (thalamus) where it is interpreted as pain (somatosensory cortex)
Two types of nerve fibres
- C fibres (unmyelinated) - transmit signals slowly and produce dull and diffuse pain sensations
- A-delta fibres (myelinated) - transmit signals fast and produce shapr and localised pain sensations
Headaches - red flags
-Fever, photophobia or neck stiffness (meningitis, encephalitis or brain abscess)
- New neurological symptoms (haemorrhage or tumours)
- Visual disturbance (giant cell arteritis, glaucoma or tumours)
- Sudden-onset occipital headache (subarachnoid haemorrhage)
- Worse on coughing or straining (raised intracranial pressure)
- Postural, worse on standing, lying or bending over (raised intracranial pressure)
- Vomiting (raised intracranial pressure or carbon monoxide poisoning)
- History of trauma (intracranial haemorrhage)
- History of cancer (brain metastasis)
- Pregnancy (pre-eclampsia)
What does papilloedema on fundoscopy indicate?
Suggests raised intracranial pressure
- brain tumour
- benign intracranial hypertension
- intracranial bleed
Tension headache - typical presentation + what is it associated with?
- mild ache or pressure in a band-like pattern around the head
- develop gradually and do not produce visual changes
.
Associated with: - Stress
- Depression
- Alcohol
- Skipping meals
- Dehydration
What is defined as a chronic tension-type headache?
TTH occurring on more than 15 days per month for at least 3 months
Tension (or tension-type) headache - Management
- Reassurance +/- simple analgesia
- Amitriptyline - 1st-line for chronic TTH
Sinusitis - presentation
- usually following a recent viral URTI
- tenderness and swelling on palpation of the affected areas
- usually resolves in 2-3 weeks
Sinusitis - management of prolonged cases
- steroid nasal spray
- antibiotics (phenoxymethylpenicillin 1st line)
Medication-overuse headache - treatment
- withdrawal of the analgesia
(challenging in pts with chronic pain)
Hormonal headache (menstrual migraines) - presentation
Related to low oestrogen
- unilateral, pulsatile headache associated with nausea
Hormonal headache (menstrual migraine) - treatment
- Triptans and NSAIDs (eg. mefenamic acid)
Trigeminal neuralgia - treatment
- Carbamazepine 1st-line
- Surgical options can be considered if symptoms persist
Types of migraine
- Migraine without aura
- Migraine with aura
- Silent migraine (migraine with aura but without a headache)
- Hemiplegic migraine
- Chronic migraine - pt experiences for more than 15 days per month for at least 3 months
Migraine - clinical features
Symptoms can last up to 72hrs, typical features are:
- Severe, unilateral, throbbing headache - pounding/throbbing in nature
- Aura (can last up to 60 mins)
- Photophobia/phonophobia/osmophobia - pts usually go toa darkened, quiet room during an attack
- nausea and vomiting
Migraines - what is aura
Aura can affect vision, sensation, or language - visual symptoms are the most common:
- sparks in vision
- blurred vision
- lines across vision
- loss of visual fields (eg. scotoma)
.
- Sensation changes - tingling/numbness
- Language changes - dysphasia
What is a hemiplegic migraine and what should be ruled out?
Migraine with hemiplegia (unilateral limb weakness)
- other symptoms may include ataxia and impaired consciousness
- note: can mimic a stroke/TIA - so it is important to rule this out
Migraine - triggers
- stress
- sensory stimuli - eg. bright lights, loud noises, strong smells
- sleep disturbances - eg. insomnia, irregular sleep patterns
- Dietary factors - eg. caffeine, alcohol
- Hormonal changes - eg. menstruation, menopause
Migraines - Acute management
(pts may develop strategies for managing symptoms - eg. going into a dark, quiet room)
1. Oral triptan (eg. sumatriptan) +/- NSAID +/- paracetamol
2. Anti-emetic (eg. metoclopramide)
What medication should NOT be given to pts with migraines (eg. acute attack)
Opiates - can make condition worse
Migraines - Prophylactic management
(a headache diary can help identify triggers and access response to treatment)
1. Propranolol OR Topiramate OR Amitriptyline
(menstrual migraine treatment - frovatriptan or zolmitriptan as “mini-prophylaxis”)
Who should not take topiramate (an option of medication used in migraine prophylaxis)?
Women of childbearing age - teratogenic + can reduce the effectiveness of hormonal contraception
Cluster headaches - Clinical features
- Severe pain - stabbing pain around one eye
- typically occurs once or twice a day - each episode lasting 15 mins to 2hrs
- “clusters” typically last 4-12 weeks
- red, swollen, and watering eye
- +/- miosis and ptosis
(note: alcohol can be a trigger)
Cluster headache - Acute treatment
- High-flow 100% oxygen
- Subcutaneous triptan