ABSTRACT
Cluster headache (CH) is one of the worst primary headaches that remain underdiagnosed and inappropriately treated. There are recent advances in the understanding of this disease and available treatments. This paper aims to review CH's recent clinical and pathophysiological findings, diagnosis, and treatment. We performed a narrative literature review on the socio-demographics, clinical presentations, pathophysiological findings, and diagnosis and treatment of CH. CH affects 0.1% of the population with an incidence of 2.07-9.8/100,00 person-years-habitants, a mean prevalence of 53/100,000 inhabitants (3-150/100,000 inhabitants). The male-to-female ratio remains inconclusive, as the ratio of 4.3:1 has recently been modified to 1.3-2.6, possibly due to previous misdiagnosis in women. Episodic presentation is the most frequent (80%). It is a polygenetic and multifactorial entity that involves dysfunction of the trigeminovascular system, the trigeminal autonomic reflex, and the hypothalamic networks. An MRI of the brain is mandatory to exclude secondary etiologies. There are effective and safe pharmacological treatments oxygen, sphenopalatine, and great occipital nerve block, with the heterogeneity of clinical trial designs for patients with CH divided into acute, transitional, or bridge treatment (prednisone) and preventive interventions. In conclusion, CH remains underdiagnosed, mainly due to a lack of awareness within the medical community, frequently causing a long delay in reaching a final diagnosis. Recent advances in understanding the principal risk factors and underlying pathophysiology exist. There are new therapeutic possibilities that are effective for CH. Indeed, a better understanding of this challenging pathology will continue to be a subject of research, study, and discoveries in its diagnostic and therapeutic approach.
ABSTRACT
Cluster headache (CH) is the most common and devastating autonomic headache with multiple and recent advances in treatment. However, it usually goes unrecognized and is found to have a delayed and inappropriate treatment. This paper aims to review the current therapeutic options for patients with CH. We conducted a narrative literature review on the treatments available for this condition using the American Academy of Neurology (AAN) classification of therapeutic evidence. We found effective and safe pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapies with heterogeneity of clinical trial designs for patients with CH, and they are divided into three phases, namely, transitional, acute, and preventive interventions. Prednisone (A) is the most studied treatment in the transitional phase; acute attacks are treated using triptans (A), oxygen (A), and non-invasive transcutaneous vagal nerve stimulation (A). Verapamil (A) and monoclonal antibodies (possible A) are considered the first options in preventive treatments, followed by multiple pharmacological and non-pharmacological options in prophylactic treatments. In conclusion, numerous effective and safe treatments are available in treating patients with episodic, chronic, and pharmacoresistant CH according to the clinical profile of each patient.
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Wernicke's encephalopathy is an acute and reversible neurologic disorder due to deficiency of thiamin. Chronic alcoholism was the main cause in the past; currently, there are many other situations which favour this condition: prolonged intravenous feeding, hyperemesis gravidarum, anorexia nervosa, regional enteritis, malabsorption syndrome, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, and abdominal surgery. CLINICAL CASE: We report six patients, three male and three female, who had in common total parenteral nutrition over two months, secondary to abdominal surgery complications and restriction to enteral nutrition. Clinical manifestations were drowsiness, psychomotor hyperactivity, ophthalmoplegia with bilateral abduction impairment, horizontal nystagmus; three patients with ataxia and appendicular dysmetria. Magnetic resonance imaging showed abnormal T2 hyperintensity of the superior colliculus, periaqueductal gray matter, mammillary bodies and dorsomedial nucleus of the thalamus, as well as abnormal T1 hyperintensity in both lenticular nucleus from manganese deposits due to total parenteral nutrition. CONCLUSIONS: The classical triad is global confusional state, ocular abnormalities and ataxia. However, using the Caine criteria, the diagnosis could be faster in susceptible patients without previous alcoholism.
INTRODUCCIÓN: la encefalopatía de Wernicke es un desorden neurológico agudo y reversible debido a deficiencia de tiamina. En el pasado, se reconocía al alcoholismo crónico como una de las principales causas; actualmente se conocen otras condiciones que lo favorecen: nutrición parenteral prolongada, hiperémesis gravídica, anorexia nerviosa, enteritis regional, síndrome de malabsorción, hemodiálisis, diálisis peritoneal y cirugía abdominal extensa, entre otras. CASOS CLÍNICOS: se describen seis pacientes, tres hombres y tres mujeres que tuvieron en común nutrición parenteral total por más de dos meses debido a complicaciones quirúrgicas abdominales que impedían la vía oral. Las manifestaciones clínicas fueron somnolencia, agitación psicomotriz, oftalmoplejía con limitación para la abducción bilateral y nistagmo horizontal; tres pacientes presentaron ataxia y dismetría apendicular. Los hallazgos en la resonancia magnética fueron hiperintensidad en T2 en los colículos superiores, sustancia gris periacueductal, tubérculos mamilares y núcleos dorsomediales del tálamo; así como hiperintensidad en T1 en ambos núcleos lenticulares por depósito de manganeso debido a la nutrición parenteral total. CONCLUSIONES: la tríada característica está integrada por síndrome confusional, oftalmoplejía y ataxia. Con el empleo de los criterios de Caine, el diagnóstico puede ser más rápido y oportuno en los pacientes susceptibles sin antecedente de alcoholismo.
Subject(s)
Parenteral Nutrition/adverse effects , Wernicke Encephalopathy/diagnosis , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Wernicke Encephalopathy/etiologyABSTRACT
El síndrome de Wallenberg es una de las entidades clínicas más frecuentemente reconocidas como parte de la patología vascular del tallo cerebral. En la actualidad puede ser identificada con rapidez gracias a las modernas técnicas en neuroimagen. Presentamos un paciente con cuadro clínico de miosis, disfonía, disfagia, seguido de ataxia. Se efectuó evaluación con resonancia magnética utilizando técnicas de difusión, coeficiente aparente de difusión, FLAIR (fast fluid-attenuated inversion recovery) y perfusión. Se describe la correlación clínica de los síntomas con la localización anatómica de la lesión, y se discuten los hallazgos de imagen. La descripción de este caso enfatiza la utilidad de la resonancia magnética para una adecuada evaluación y correlación clínica de los hallazgos en imagen con la exploración neurológica.
Wallenberg's syndrome is one of the most common clinically recognized conditions due to brain stem infarct, which can nowadays be identified by modern neuro-imaging techniques. We describe a patient complaining of miosis, dysphonia, and dysphagia followed by ataxia. An MRI evaluation was performed including diffusion-weighted imaging, apparent diffusion coefficient, T2-weighted images, fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and perfusion. A brief discussion of imaging findings is presented as well as a clinical correlation of the symptoms with the anatomic location of the lesion. This case report emphasizes the importance of imaging findings and their clinical correlation with neurological examination.
Subject(s)
Humans , Male , Aged , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Lateral Medullary Syndrome/diagnosisABSTRACT
Wallenberg's syndrome is one of the most common clinically recognized conditions due to brain stem infarct, which can nowadays be identified by modern neuro-imaging techniques. We describe a patient complaining of miosis, dysphonia, and dysphagia followed by ataxia. An MRI evaluation was performed including diffusion-weighted imaging, apparent diffusion coefficient, T2-weighted images, fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and perfusion. A brief discussion of imaging findings is presented as well as a clinical correlation of the symptoms with the anatomic location of the lesion. This case report emphasizes the importance of imaging findings and their clinical correlation with neurological examination.
Subject(s)
Lateral Medullary Syndrome/diagnosis , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Aged , Humans , MaleABSTRACT
La adicción a la nicotina es uno de los problemas de salud pública más importantes en todos los países del mundo. Se piensa que el potencial adictivo de la nicotina es similar en intensidad al que genera la cocaína. Las tasas esperadas de muerte relacionadas al uso del tabaco para el 2020 será aproximadamente de 10 millones de personas. Las estrategias farmacológicas actuales para el tratamiento del tabaquismo incluyen la terapia sustitutiva por vías no inhalables, el bloqueo de los receptores nicotínicos y el desarrollo de una vacuna. Se ha demostrado que el bupropión es un antagonista de la nicotina. En los próximos años se tendrá una vacuna para uso clínico (Nic Vax ) que bloquea a la nicotina circulante antes que acceda al sistema nervioso central.
Subject(s)
Smoking , Tobacco Use Disorder , Bupropion , Clonidine , Lobeline , VaccinesABSTRACT
Se reportan tres casos de pacientes con síndrome de "encerramiento" en los cuales las lesiones fueron demostradas por estudio tomográfico. Dos pacientes presentaron hemorragia ventral protuberancial y mesencefálica y el otro un infarto isquémico protuberanciall. Los hallazgos tomográficos en el síndrome de "encerramiento" han sido reportados raramente
