Clinical Features of Cluster Headache Patients in Korea

Cluster headache (CH) is a rare underdiagnosed primary headache disorder with very severe unilateral pain and autonomic symptoms. Clinical characteristics of Korean patients with CH have not yet been reported. We analyzed the clinical features of CH patients from 11 university hospitals in Korea. Among a total of 200 patients with CH, only 1 patient had chronic CH. The average age of CH patients was 38.1 ± 8.9 years (range 19–60 years) and the average age of onset was 30.7 ± 10.3 years (range 10–57 years). The male-to-female ratio was 7:1 (2.9:1 among teen-onset and 11.7:1 among twenties-onset). Pain was very severe at 9.3 ± 1.0 on the visual analogue scale. The average duration of each attack was 100.6 ± 55.6 minutes and a bout of CH lasted 6.5 ± 4.5 weeks. Autonomic symptoms were present in 93.5% and restlessness or agitation was present in 43.5% of patients. Patients suffered 3.0 ± 3.5 (range 1–25) bouts over 7.3 ± 6.7 (range 1–30) years. Diurnal periodicity and season propensity were present in 68.5% and 44.0% of patients, respectively. There were no sex differences in associated symptoms or diurnal and seasonal periodicity. Korean CH patients had a high male-to-female ratio, relatively short bout duration, and low proportion of chronic CH, unlike CH patients in Western countries.

A Case of Brain Stem Neuro-Behcet's Disease Presenting as Paroxysmal Headache With Autonomic Features

Migraine without aura was significantly frequent in Beh et's disease patients. While, the relationship of TAC(trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia) and Beh et's disease was not known. And, it is thought that pathogenesis of proxysmal headache with autonomic features in neuroBehcet's disease as our case may be different from those of clust headache and TAC. A 45-year-old male admitted with left sided periobital poxysmal headache accompained by ipsilateral conjunctival injection and lacrimination with autonomic features. T2WMR image showed about 1.5x2.6x2.6 cm sized mass with high signal intensity surrounded by a rim of low signal intensity in pons. Enhanced MR image showed enhancing mass-like lesion inside the T2 high signal intensity. CSF study revealed neutrophilic pleocytosis with normal pressure, protein and glucose concentration. No malignant cell were seen. Antiphospholipid antibody and cryoglobuline was significantly increased. 3 days after hospitalvisit, oral ulcerations appeared in the patient. He was treated with high-dose steroid for a week and his headache and abnormal findings of CSF study became fully recovered. Two weeks later, the mass was nearly reduced in the pons on follow-up MR image. We suggest to include a careful interviewfor 2ndary TAC as the first neurologic symptom in the diagnostic work-up of Behet's disease.