Presenting Complaints

Question 1

sudden onset severe occipital headache ‘kicked in back of head’, orbital pain, meningism.

Answer 1

SAH

Question 2

headache

visual aura/zig-zagging or any sensory disturbance, classically unilateral, photophobia

Answer 2

migraine

Question 3

headache with

photophobia, meningism, fevers.

Answer 3

• Meningitis

Question 4

headache

nausea/vomiting, worse in morning, coughing and sneezing

Answer 4

High ICP

Question 5

headache

jaw claudication, scalp/jaw tenderness, >55.

Answer 5

temporal arteritis (GCA)

Question 6

transient LOC can either be:

• syncope
• neurological
• examples of syncope
• how they present?
• presentation of neurological?

Answer 6

syncope:
Vasovagal, postural drop, arrhythmia, mechanical obstruction to cardiac output (PE).
These will be prodrome, quick recovery, pallor, on standing.

neurological:
Aura, tongue biting, urinary incontinence, post-ictal confusion/fatigue, degree of amnesia

Question 7

Vertigo

can either be central or peripheral?

whats the difference?

Answer 7

central: posterior circulation

Peripheral: BPPV, Vestibular neuritis/labrinthitis, Meniere’s

Question 8

if you have nystagmus in one direction?

if nystagmus is direction changing?

Answer 8

benign conditions beat in only one direction in stroke,

central lesions: direction-changing nystagmus.

Question 9

visual field defects

• PITS

If inferior field affected - what lobe?

• if superior field affected - what lobe?

Answer 9

inferior visual field = parietal lobe

superior visual field = temporal lobe