Search

The outcome of spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) years after onset is largely unknown. The objective of our study was to describe our clinical experience and long-term outcomes in a case series of patients with SIH. From March 2007 to March 2022, demographic variables, clinical symptoms, neuroimaging findings, and response to treatment were retrospectively analyzed in patients with confirmed SIH and in a subgroup of patients with clinical symptoms but not confirmed by MR or LP, probable SIH (pSIH). We have included 37 SIH and 13 pSIH patients. The average age at onset was 44 years, and 59% (pSIH 46%) were women. All patients presented with a new-onset orthostatic headache. In the SIH group, brain MRI showed signs of intracranial hypotension in all patients, spinal MR was performed in 70%, and pathological findings were identified in 73%. The range of EBP was 1-8 (average 2.2). Good outcome after single or 2 EBPs had 42% (pSIH 46%) of patients. At follow-up, 81% (pSIH 54%) of patients had a favorable outcome. Relapse occurred in 16% of patients in the SIH group and none in the pSIH group. The mean follow-up time was 60 months. EBP is an effective and minimally invasive treatment, and efficacy seems independent of disease duration. The long-term prognosis is favorable in 80% of SIH patients and in half of pSIH patients. Despite the lack of MRI signs of low intracranial pressure on neuroimaging, pSIH patients should also be offered EBP, and more awareness of SIH is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) manifests as orthostatic headache, which can be confirmed by radiological signs of low intracranial pressure on magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. The most common mechanisms of SIH are ruptured meningeal diverticula, ventral dural tears and CSF‐venous fistulas. SIH is associated with connective tissue disorders, and cases of SIH onset after trivial trauma have been reported. As SIH is often underdiagnosed, the aim of this study is to identify possible new risk factors of SIH onset in a case series of SIH patients. Materials and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 36 patients diagnosed with SIH. We reviewed and identified potential factors that led to or presented at headache onset in SIH patients. Results: We identified 4/36 (11%) patients that had a close temporal relationship between the onset of SIH symptoms and airplane travel. In all four patients, the clinical and imaging features confirmed the diagnosis of SIH. Conclusion: This is the first report of a case series of four patients with SIH that could be related to airplane travel. Describing four cases (11%) is not proof but should alert us to a possible causal relationship, which calls for further research. We suggest that when taking medical history, thorough details about the patient's activities, such as headache onset, should be documented because of their importance in correctly diagnosing SIH, which is a debilitating, yet treatable, disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small subsets of patients who fail to respond to pharmacological treatment may benefit from alternative treatment methods. In the last decade, neurostimulation is being explored as a potential treatment option for the patients with chronic, severely disabling refractory primary headaches. To alleviate pain, specific nerves and brain areas have been stimulated, and various methods have been explored: deep brain stimulation, occipital nerve stimulation, and sphenopalatine ganglion stimulation are among the more invasive ones, whereas transcranial magnetic stimulation and supraorbital nerve stimulation are noninvasive. Vagal nerve stimulation can be invasive or noninvasive, though this review included only data for noninvasive VNS. Most of these methods have been tested in small open‐label patient series; recently, more data from randomized, controlled, and blinded studies are available. Although neurostimulation treatments have demonstrated good efficacy in many studies, it still has not been established as a standard treatment in refractory patients. This review analyzes the available evidence regarding efficacy and safety of different neurostimulation modalities for the treatment of chronic migraine and cluster headache. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diagnosis and management of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) can be difficult and multiple medical subspecialities are often involved. Several national and international guidelines regarding the investigations and management of IIH have been published in recent years but still there is no consensus about the optimal organization of IIH-care. The objective of this review was to propose and describe a referral pathway and an organization scheme for diagnosis and management of IIH. An extensive search of existing literature was conducted and summarized. In total, 237 IIH-articles were identified and hereof 43 included. The clinical practice in our specialized IIH-clinic is characterized and described. We conclude that an educational campaign involving medical care providers and patients with chronic headaches is necessary. A detailed organizational proposal for a referral pathway and management of IIH patients based on the literature search and our clinical experience from a highly specialized IIH outpatient clinic is suggested and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Chronic headache describes the presence of headache for >15 days per month on average for >3 months and fulfills the rest of the IHS criteria. The prevalence of chronic headache is within the range of 0.5-7.3% worldwide. The aim of this study was to determine the 1-year prevalence of chronic headache in adult Croatian population. Methods. The data were collected from a cross-sectional survey of an adult population (>18?years of age) sample. Randomly selected patients from the general population in four Croatian cities were asked to fulfill a self-completed questionnaire. The prevalence of chronic headache was calculated in the sample representing 3?383?769 Croatian adults. Results. The total sample included 1542 responders among which 616 were with headache. The 1-year prevalence of chronic headache was 2.4%, and 0.9% of responders declared having headache 30?days per month. According to these results, 81?192 adult inhabitants in Croatia suffer from chronic headache. Conclusions. The prevalence of chronic headache in Croatia is comparable to other countries worldwide. These patients require special attention and should be offered multidisciplinary medical support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify the most frequent causes of secondary pseudotumor cerebri syndrome and compare phenotype, clinical presentation, and symptoms of secondary pseudotumor cerebri syndrome to the primary form of pseudotumor cerebri syndrome, idiopathic intracranial hypertension.Methods: The study was a prospective cohort study including patients with new-onset pseudotumor cerebri syndrome. Diagnostic work up was standardized. Patients were diagnosed with secondary pseudotumor cerebri syndrome or idiopathic intracranial hypertension according to the revised Friedman criteria. Secondary pseudotumor cerebri syndrome patients were categorized into five causes: medication, systemic causes, sleep apnea, cerebrovascular causes, and several competing causes. Phenotype, clinical presentation, symptoms and neuroimaging were compared between groups.Results: Out of 278 cases, 28 secondary pseudotumor cerebri syndrome and 120 idiopathic intracranial hypertension patients were included. The most frequent causes of secondary pseudotumor cerebri syndrome were medication (n  =  8, 28.6%) and systemic causes (n = 8, 28.6%), followed by sleep apnea (n = 5, 17.9%), cerebrovascular causes (n = 4, 14.3%) and several competing causes (n = 3, 10.7%). Secondary pseudotumor cerebri syndrome and idiopathic intracranial hypertension patients were phenotypically alike and predominately female, premenopausal, and obese. Symptoms and objective findings at disease onset were similar between groups.Conclusion: Secondary pseudotumor cerebri syndrome should be considered in all patients with suspected pseudotumor cerebri syndrome as secondary pseudotumor cerebri syndrome and idiopathic intracranial hypertension patients are phenotypically and clinically alike. A thorough diagnostic workup is needed as treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension and secondary pseudotumor cerebri syndrome is markedly different. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our objective was to assess optic nerve sheath diameter (a marker of elevated intracranial pressure) and optic disc elevation (a marker of papilledema) in pseudotumor cerebri syndrome using transorbital sonography. Methods: The study was a prospective case-control study. We included patients with new-onset pseudotumor cerebri syndrome and matched healthy controls. All had fundoscopy, lumbar puncture with opening pressure and transorbital sonography. Sonography was assessed by a blinded observer. Results: We evaluated 45 patients and included 23 cases. We recruited 35 controls. Optic nerve sheath diameter was larger in pseudotumor cerebri syndrome compared to controls (6.3 ± 0.9 mm versus 5.0 ± 0.5 mm, p < 0.001) and so was optic disc elevation (0.9 ± 0.4 mm versus 0.4 ± 0.1 mm, p < 0.001). The optimal cut-off point for optic nerve sheath diameter was 6 mm with a sensitivity of 74% for prediction of pseudotumor cerebri syndrome and 68% for prediction of elevated opening pressure. Specificity was 94%. The optimal cut-off point for optic disc elevation was 0.6 mm. Sensitivity was 100% and specificity 83% for prediction of pseudotumor cerebri syndrome. Conclusion: Optic disc elevation and optic nerve sheath diameter are increased in new-onset pseudotumor cerebri syndrome. Optic disc elevation achieved high specificity and excellent sensitivity for diagnosis of pseudotumor cerebri syndrome. Transorbital sonography (TOS) is a potential, non-invasive screening tool for pseudotumor cerebri syndrome in headache clinics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the proportion of individuals who report dizziness and/or vertigo during the prodromal phase or headache phase of migraine.Methods: The databases of MEDLINE and EMBASE were searched for studies on dizziness and/or vertigo during the prodromal phase or headache phase of migraine. Pooled relative frequencies were estimated using a random-effects meta-analysis.Results: We identified nine articles eligible for inclusion. Of these, one study reported results for the prodromal phase, seven studies for the headache phase and one study for both the prodromal and headache phase. In the prodromal phase, 9.0% of individuals with migraine reported dizziness, while 3.3% reported vertigo. During the headache phase, relative frequency of dizziness ranged from 6.7% to 59.6%, while vertigo ranged from 6.4% to 44.7%. The meta-analysis showed a relative frequency of 35.7% for dizziness (95% CI = 13.7-61.5%, I2 = 99%) and 33.9% for vertigo (95% CI = 26.7-41.5%, I2 = 87%). Study quality was rated 5/9 or below for seven studies and 6/9 or above for two studies.Conclusion: We found that there is a scarcity of literature on dizziness and vertigo as prodromal- and headache-associated symptoms in individuals with migraine. Methodological variations confound comparisons of epidemiological patterns, although it appears that dizziness and vertigo are more frequent during the headache phase of migraine, compared with the prodromal phase. Future studies should ensure use of standardized definitions and rigorous methodology to enable accurate measurements of dizziness and vertigo in migraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]