scholarly journals Chronic Cluster Headache with an Atypical Presentation and Treatment Response

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-4
Author(s):  
Telma Santos ◽  
Hugo Morais

The management of cluster headache (CH) may be challenging. We report a 50-year-old male with recurrent attacks of dull and severe unilateral periorbital pain, lasting 30–45 minutes, twice a day, exclusively during sleep, and accompanied by ipsilateral rhinorrhea and lacrimation. The pain switched sides within every attack. CH treatment was initiated but the patient maintained recurrence rates compatible with chronic CH, even after increasing verapamil to 460 mg/day. Afterwards we decided to add lithium (800 mg/day). With this treatment the severity and recurrence of CH substantially decreased, despite the patient’s autonomous decision to take lithium only during the acute phase of the cluster. The exclusively alternating location and the excellent response to short cycles of lithium represent two unique features of CH.

Cephalalgia ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 873-880 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charly Gaul ◽  
Jana Roguski ◽  
Thomas Dresler ◽  
Hind Abbas ◽  
Andreas Totzeck ◽  
...  

Background Treatment options for cluster headache (CH) include acute, transitional and prophylactic strategies. We assessed the efficacy and safety of a single occipital nerve block (ONB) in patients with episodic (eCH) and chronic CH (cCH). Methods In this prospective, observational study 101 CH were treated with a single ONB using triamcinolone 10 mg and bupivacaine. Attack frequency, pain intensity and side effects were assessed at days 1 and 7 after ONB and thereafter weekly for 60 days until recurrence of attacks. Results Baseline mean daily attack frequency was 2.9 ± 2.5 (eCH) and 3.3 ± 2.9 (cCH), which was reduced to 0.7 ± 1.2 (eCH) and 1.1 ± 1.4 (cCH) after one day ( p = 0.08 for group difference) and to 1.1 ± 1.6 (eCH) and 1.9 ± 2.3 (cCH) after seven days ( p = 0.01 for group difference). In patients with eCH the pain-free period lasted longer compared to cCH ( p = 0.004). There was no association between the presence of local anesthesia and treatment response ( p = 0.88). No serious adverse events occurred. Conclusion ONB is an easy, safe and effective transitional treatment option in case of insufficient response of CH to treatment both in patients with eCH and cCH. Patients with eCH have a better and more sustainable treatment response.


Author(s):  
Domenico Albano ◽  
Francesco Dondi ◽  
Valentina Zilioli ◽  
Maria Beatrice Panarotto ◽  
Alessandro Galani ◽  
...  

Abstract Objective The baseline treatment of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) consists of thyroidectomy followed by postoperative risk-adapted radioiodine therapy (RAIT) when indicated. The choice of most appropriate RAI activities to administer with the aim to reach an efficient remnant ablation and reduce the risk of recurrence is yet an open issue and the detection of basal factors that may predict treatment response seems fundamental. The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of Hashimoto thyroiditis (HT) in predicting 1-year and 5-year treatment response after RAIT and prognosis. Methods We retrospectively included 314 consecutive patients (174 low-risk and 140 intermediate-risk) who received thyroidectomy plus RAIT. One-year and 5-year disease status was evaluated according to 2015 ATA categories response based upon biochemical and structural findings. Results HT was reported histopathologically in 120 patients (38%). DTC patients with concomitant HT received a higher number of RAITs and cumulative RAI activities. Initial RAIT reached an excellent response in 63% after one year and 84% after 5 years. The rate of excellent response one year and 5-year after first RAIT was significantly lower in HT groups, compared to not HT (p < 0.001). Instead, HT did not have a prognostic role considering PFS and OS; while stimulate thyroglobulin (sTg) at ablation was significantly related to survival. Conclusions HT may affect the efficacy of RAIT in low to intermediate risk DTC, particularly reducing the successful rate of excellent response after RAIT. Instead, HT did not have a prognostic impact such as stimulated sTg.


Neurosurgery ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 59 (6) ◽  
pp. 1252-1257 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Donnet ◽  
Manabu Tamura ◽  
Dominique Valade ◽  
Jean Régis

Abstract OBJECTIVE We have previously reported short-term results of a prospective open trial designed to evaluate trigeminal nerve radiosurgical treatment in intractable chronic cluster headache (CCH). Medium- and long-term results have not yet been reported. METHODS Ten patients presenting with a severe and drug-resistant CCH were enrolled (nine men, one woman). The radiosurgical treatment was performed according to the technique usually used for trigeminal neuralgia in our department. A single 4-mm shot was positioned at the level of the cisternal portion of the trigeminal nerve. The median distance between the center of the shot and the emergence of the nerve was 9.35 mm (range, 7.5–13.3 mm). The median of this maximum dose to the brainstem was 8.0 Gy (range, 4.0–11.1 Gy). Mean age was 49.8 years (range, 32–77 yr). Mean duration of the CCH was 9 years (range, 2–33 yr). The mean follow-up period was 36.3 months (range, 24–48 mo). RESULTS Two patients had complete relief of CCH. One patient had a good result with evolution in an episodic form. Seven patients had no improvement. Nine patients developed a new trigeminal nerve disturbance: three developed paresthesia with no hypoesthesia and six developed hypoesthesia, including two patients with deafferentation pain. Only one patient had neither paresthesia nor hypoesthesia. CONCLUSION We confirmed, with medium- and long-term evaluation, the high rate of toxicity and failure of the technique. The high toxicity, despite a methodology identical to the one used in trigeminal neuralgia, leads us to suspect an underlying specificity of the nerve in CCH. We do not recommend radiosurgery for treatment of intractable CCH.


Cephalalgia ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 32 (8) ◽  
pp. 630-634 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas R Gantenbein ◽  
Nina J Lutz ◽  
Franz Riederer ◽  
Peter S Sándor

Neurology ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 60 (8) ◽  
pp. 1360-1362 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.G. Jarrar ◽  
D.F. Black ◽  
D.W. Dodick ◽  
D.H. Davis

2018 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 251581631880969
Author(s):  
Cherubino Di Lorenzo ◽  
Lanfranco Pellesi ◽  
Gianluca Coppola ◽  
Vincenzo Parisi ◽  
Maurizio Evangelista ◽  
...  

Cluster headache (CH) is one of the most severe forms of headache, but the number of effective treatments is still limited. Recently, we reported the case of a drug-resistant CH patient responsive to the rotigotine transdermal patch, which is used in the treatment of Parkinson’s disease. This report formed the basis for a case series where other drug-resistant CH patients were treated with rotigotine. Here are the results of this study. Twenty-two CH patients underwent the treatment. Eight were episodic cluster headache (ECH) patients and 14 were chronic cluster headache (CCH) patients. Of the eight ECH patients, four reported that their CH had been stopped by the treatment. Of the 14 CCH patients, 11 were considered responders to the treatment (5 experienced a full resolution of headache, and 6 had a headache reduction of at least 50% in terms of mean monthly number of attacks). Our case series confirms the previous observation that rotigotine could be helpful in the treatment of CH. It may even influence the monoaminergic system that has a key role in the pathogenesis of CH.


Neurosurgery ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 84 (5) ◽  
pp. 1059-1064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shao-Cheng Liu ◽  
Ming-Chang Kao ◽  
Yun-Chen Huang ◽  
Wan-Fu Su

Abstract BACKGROUND Management of chronic cluster headache (CCH) remains a challenging endeavor, and the optimal surgical approach for medically refractory CCH remains controversial. OBJECTIVE To conduct a preliminary evaluation of the efficacy and safety of vidian neurectomy (VN) in patients with medically refractory CCH. METHODS Between March 2013 and December 2015, 9 CCH patients, all of whom had failed to respond to conservative therapy, underwent VN with a precise nerve cut and maximal preservation of the sphenopalatine ganglion. Data included demographic variables, cluster headache onset and duration, mean attack frequency, mean attack intensity, and pain disability index measures pre- and through 12-mo postsurgery. RESULTS Seven of the 9 cases (77.8%) showed immediate improvement. Improvement was delayed by 1 mo in 1 patient, after which the surgical effects of pain relief were maintained throughout the follow-up period. One patient (11.1%) did not improve after surgery. One year after VN, patients’ mean attack frequency, mean attack intensity, and pain disability index decreased by 54.5%, 52.9%, and 56.4%, respectively. No patient experienced treatment-related side effects or complications. CONCLUSION VN is an effective treatment method for CCH patients. Precise Vidian nerve identification and maximal preservation of the sphenopalatine ganglion may achieve good surgical outcomes and dramatically improve quality of life among patients, without significant adverse events.


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