Various presentations of the olfactory hallucination in two patients with migraine disease: Case report.

Objectives: To report two different presentations of migraine with the olfactory hallucinations. A case with the typical hallucinatory olfactory symptoms preceding migraine headaches and another case with longstanding olfactory hallucinations. Background: Migraine prevails in about 12% of the general population, with the migraine aura accountable for at least one-third of these cases. The most common aura is the visual aura, followed by the sensory aura, speech, and motor auras. Olfactory hallucinations preceding the headache phase of migraine are rare. To date, the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD) has not recognized them as a subset of migraine aura. Results: This report presents a patient with a typical Phantosmia (PO) aura before her migraine headache and a patient who experiences a longstanding PO aura. Conclusion: The olfactory hallucination may present differently in patients with migraine disease. Based on the clinical significance of migraine with olfactory hallucinations, we propose that the ICHD classify this phenomenon as a subtype of aura in the future. However, larger studies are still required to better assess the pathophysiology of this phenomenon.

Headache in Patients With Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 Infection: A Narrative Review.

OBJECTIVE: To summarize available literature regarding headache as a manifestation of coronaviruses and to describe potential underlying mechanisms. REVIEW METHODS: References for this review were identified by searches within PubMed without any date restrictions. The search terms used were coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) clinical manifestation, COVID-19 epidemiology, neurologic findings in COVID-19, headache in COVID-19, neurologic manifestations of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), and headache in SARS-CoV-2. RESULTS: Headache is one of the most common neurologic complaints in patients with SARS-CoV-2. While the pathophysiological connection between headache and SARS-CoV-2 is unclear, inflammatory mechanisms may play a key role. One of the mechanisms cited in the literature of migraine and other headache disorders is the activation of nociceptive sensory neurons by cytokines and chemokines. A similar mechanism has been reported in SARS-CoV-2 with the release of cytokines and chemokines by macrophages throughout the course of infection. Other mechanisms for headache in SARS-CoV-2 include (1) viral neuroinvasion as seen with viral encephalitis; (2) hypoxemia due to the well-described pulmonary manifestations of the disease; and (3) thrombosis secondary to COVID-19 induced hypercoagulable states. CONCLUSION: According to the Centers for Disease Control, common symptoms of human coronavirus include fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, and headache. In the case of SARS-CoV-2, there are limited reports about headaches, one of the most common clinical manifestations. There are currently no studies that focus specifically on headache among patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Headache in Ruptured Intracranial Dermoid Cysts.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Intracranial dermoid cysts are benign, rare mass-occupying lesions of the central nervous system arising from the neuroectodermal cell lines. While rupture of intracranial dermoid cysts is rare, it can present with a variety of clinical manifestations. To explore the headache manifestations among patients with ruptured intracranial dermoid cysts. To our knowledge, limited studies focusing on headache due to the intracranial dermoid cysts rupture have been published to date. A literature review was done through PubMed/Medline. Articles within the past 10 years were reviewed. Articles in languages other than English were excluded. RECENT FINDINGS: Rupture of intracranial dermoid cysts could have various manifestations including headache, seizure, and meningitis. Depending on the location of the cyst, headache secondary to the rupture of the intracranial dermoid cysts could present in different ways. A detailed systematic literature review of headache presentations due to intracranial dermoid cysts rupture is provided.