Lidocaína endovenosa no tratamento da síndrome SUNCT secundária a tumor de hipófise: seguimento de uma paciente por um período de quatro anos. Relato de caso / Intravenous lidocaine to treat SUNCT syndrome secondary to pituitary tumor: follow up of a patient for four years. Case report

JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: A síndrome SUNCT (short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing syndrome) é descrita como dor de localização orbitária, supraorbitária ou temporal unilateral, caracterizada como em pontada ou pulsátil, de forte intensidade, incapacitante, de curta duração, variando entre 5 e 240 segundos. É uma síndrome dolorosa de difícil tratamento, no entanto, no presente caso obteve-se resposta analgésica satisfatória com lidocaína endovenosa. RELATO DO CASO: Paciente do gênero feminino, 32 anos portadora de síndrome SUNCT secundária a tumor de hipófise (submetida a hipofisectomia transesfenoidal e radiocirurgia), passou a apresentar 30 crises de dor diariamente. Não obteve resposta analgésica com o procedimento cirúrgico. Foi iniciado tratamento farmacológico com lamotrigina, clorpromazina e amitriptilina sem alivio da dor. Submetida a ciclos de infusão de lidocaína venosa obteve adequado alivio da dor. CONCLUSÃO: Neste caso de síndrome SUNCT, a lidocaína endovenosa foi capaz de proporcionar analgesia adequada e duradoura, podendo ser considerada como parte integrante nos pacientes portadores dessa de síndrome.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: SUNCT syndrome (short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing syndrome) is described as unilateral orbitary, supraorbitary or temporal pain, characterized as stabbing or throbbing, severe, disabling, of short duration, varying from 5 to 240 seconds. This is a difficult to treat syndrome, however in our case there has been satisfactory analgesia with intravenous lidocaine. CASE REPORT: Female patient, 32 years old, with SUNCT syndrome secondary to pituitary tumor (submitted to transsphenoidal hypophysectomy and radio-surgery), started presenting 30 daily pain crises. There has been no analgesic response to surgical procedure. Pharmacological treatment was started with lamotrigine, chlorpromazine and amitriptyline without pain relief. Patient was submitted to intravenous lidocaine infusion cycles with adequate pain relief. CONCLUSION: In this case of SUNCT syndrome, intravenous lidocaine was able to promote adequate and long-lasting analgesia and may be considered integral part of the treatment of this syndrome.

SUNCT syndrome: report of a possible symptomatic case

SUNCT is one of the rarest and least known primary headache disorders. Although its pathogenesis has been partially understood by functional neuroimaging and reports of secondary cases, there is limited understanding of its cause. We report a case of SUNCT in a 54-years-old man, that could not be strictly classified as secondary SUNCT; however, the time lag of pain onset suggests a new theory in which neuroplasticity could be involved in the origin and duration of the pain in SUNCT syndrome.

SUNCT é uma das mais raras e menos conhecidas cefaléias primárias. Embora sua patogênese esteja parcialmente compreendida por neuroimagem funcional e relatos de casos secundários, há insuficiente conhecimento a respeito de sua causa. Nós relatamos um caso de SUNCT em um homem de 54 anos, que não poderia ser estritamente classificado como SUNCT secundário; entretanto, o lapso de tempo para o início da dor sugere uma nova hipótese na qual a neuroplasticidade possa esta envolvida na origem e duração da dor na síndrome SUNCT.

Verapamil-responsive SUNCT Syndrome

SUNCT syndrome is characterized by short-lasting, unilateral, neuralgiform headache attacks, with conjuntival injec-tion and tearing. Distinct from trigeminal neuralgia, cluster headache, or paroxysmal hemicrania, this rare syndrome is SUNCT syndrome is characterized by short-lasting, unilateral, neuralgiform headache attacks, with conjuntival injec-tion and tearing. Distinct from trigeminal neuralgia, cluster headache, or paroxysmal hemicrania, this rare syndrome is generally refractory to various medications. We report a 63-year-old man diagnosed with SUNCT syndrome, whose symptoms were relieved by verapamil. The therapeutic effects of verapamil on SUNCT syndrome remain to be verified by further experiences. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(4):407~409, 2001)