PURPOSE OF REVIEW This article covers the clinical manifestations and differential diagnosis of the trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias (TACs). RECENT FINDINGS TACs comprise a subgroup of primary headache disorders presenting with lateralized, often severe, pain accompanied by cranial autonomic features. The key syndromes are cluster headache, paroxysmal hemicrania, short-lasting unilateral neu...

Primary headache disorders such as migraine affect almost a third of women during their childbearing years, when decisions about contraception must be made. Headache is also a commonly reported adverse event in clinical trials of oral contraceptives (OCs). Health care practitioners will frequently be called upon to give advice about the use of OCs to women with headache. This article applies cu...

BACKGROUND Cluster headache is a primary headache by definition not caused by any known underlying structural pathology. However, symptomatic cases have been described, for example tumours, particularly pituitary adenomas, malformations, and infections/inflammations. The evaluation of cluster headache is an issue unresolved. CASE DESCRIPTION I present a case of a 24-year-old patient who prese...

BACKGROUND Secondary cluster headache following carotid endarterectomy (CEA) is a rare condition and may help us understand the pathophysiology of primary cluster headache. SUMMARY We describe 2 patients diagnosed with cluster headache, fulfilling the ICHD-IIIB criteria, following CEA. Neither of the patients had headache prior to surgery. They both responded to treatment with oxygen and vera...

A 20-year-old woman was admitted to a Gynecology Hospital in her 6th month of pregnancy for high blood pressure and tonic-clonic seizure. Primary diagnosis was eclampsia, and for that reason she underwent cesarean section. She also had headache on frontal and parietal areas without nausea or vomiting. There was not a focal neurological sign. Rheumatology consultation was requested. Systemic lup...

The intimate relationship between sleep and headache has been recognized for centuries, yet the relationship remains clinically and nosologically complex. Headaches associated with nocturnal sleep have often been perceived as either the cause or result of disrupted sleep. An understanding of the anatomy and physiology of both conditions allows for a clearer understanding of this complex relatio...

New daily persistent headache (NDPH) is defined as a persistent and daily headache from onset. It is a unique headache that typically seen in people without a prior history of headaches. New daily persistent headache (NDPH) is an often medication-refractory headache disorder, currently classified as a primary headache disorder. Several medications including Onabotulinum toxin injections and sph...

CASE PRESENTATION A 67-year-old woman presented to the emergency department for the evaluation of a new suddenonset headache. The headache began suddenly while she was seated at a meeting on July 30, 2008. No preceding event was identified before the onset of the headache such as trauma, infection, coughing, sexual activity, Valsalva maneuver, exertion, or sleep. The headache was excruciating a...

Pharmacists are likely to have an enhanced role in headache management in the future after the switch of drugs, such as sumatriptan, from prescription only (POM) to pharmacy (P) medicine status. NHS reform is providing an opportunity for pharmacists to expand their role by becoming supplementary and independent prescribers or by providing minor ailments services in community pharmacies: this is...

Primary headache syndromes’ development is associated with biological, psychological and social parameters. Factors such as daily habits, behavioral characteristics and sleep disorders also play an important role. We aim to identify the variables which affect the above factors. The study included 111 patients affected by primary headache. The patients were stratified into subgroups according to...