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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.

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension is a rare condition, but due to increased awareness and better diagnostics it is more frequently reported. This is a case report of a 52-year-old male with sudden onset of vertigo and orthostatic headache. Initial workup was negative, but over the following six months symptomsprogressed and bilateral hygromas were identified. Complete recovery was noted after two autologous bloodpatches. The importance of clinical presentation and differential diagnoses of spontaneous intracranialhypotension is emphasized

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.

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.

Objective: We investigated the efficacy and tolerability of greater occipital nerve block with lidocaine plus betamethasone in adults with chronic migraine in whom two or more previous preventive treatments were unsuccessful. Methods: Ten participants were enrolled in a 24-weeks, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial conducted at a single tertiary headache center in Copenhagen (Denmark). After a 4-week run-in period, participants underwent treatment with bilateral greater occipital nerve block with lidocaine plus betamethasone (GONb) or lidocaine plus saline (placebo) with a 4-week interval wash-out phase between the 8-week crossover periods. The primary aim was to compare the number of migraine days during crossover periods after GONb or placebo. This trial is registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02686983). Results: This study was stopped before achieving the a priori sample size, due to a slow enrollment. Ten participants were recruited, completed the study and were included in the analyses. At the baseline, the mean number of monthly migraine days was 22.9 (range, 14-30). No difference between GONb and placebo on the reduction of monthly migraine days was observed (p = 0.147; 95% CI between 0.6 and 3.7 days). Adverse events were recorded in two patients after GONb, compared with three patients after placebo. Conclusions: GONb is not beneficial in patients with difficult-to-treat chronic migraine.

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.

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.