Surgical Treatment of Contact Point Headache

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVES: Contact point headache is caused by contact between the nasal septum and the lateral nasal wall, resulting in referred pain involving the trigeminal nerve. We aimed to assess the benefits of surgical correction in patients with endoscopic and radiographic evidence of a contact point in the nasal cavity. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A prospective study was performed on patients who met the following criteria) history of chronic headache, 2) lack of acute or chronic inflammatory findings, 3) presence of a contact point upon nasal endoscopy and CT scan, 4) relief of headache within five minutes after applying topical anesthesia to the contact point. The severity of pain was assessed preoperatively and postoperatively using a visual analogue scale (VAS). The duration and frequency of headaches were also assessed using a questionnaire. RESULT: The patients whose headaches were believed to result from an intranasal contact point underwent surgical management. According to the same pain questionnaire given preoperatively and postoperatively, severity, duration, and frequency of headache were significantly reduced. CONCLUSION: A contact point headache must be considered in patients who have no other obvious causes of headache. Significant relief can be obtained by surgery in patients with endoscopic and radiographic evidence of a contact point in the nasal cavity.