eMedicine Specialties > Neurology > Headache and Pain
Cluster Headache: Differential Diagnoses & Workup
Updated: Sep 4, 2009
- Overview
- Differential Diagnoses & Workup
- Treatment & Medication
- Follow-up
Differential Diagnoses
| Anisocoria | Paroxysmal hemicrania |
| Basilar Artery Thrombosis | Persistent Idiopathic Facial Pain |
| Brainstem Gliomas | Pituitary Tumors |
| Cavernous Sinus Syndromes | Postherpetic Neuralgia |
| Craniopharyngioma | Raeder paratrigeminal syndrome |
| Headache: Pediatric Perspective | Subarachnoid Hemorrhage |
| Hemicrania continua | SUNA (short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform
headache attacks with cranial autonomic
symptoms) |
| Ice pick headaches | SUNCT (short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform
headache attacks with conjunctival injection and
tearing) |
| Intracranial Hemorrhage | Tolosa-Hunt Syndrome |
| Migraine Variants | Trigeminal Neuralgia |
Other Problems to Be Considered
Arteriovenous malformations
Brainstem syndromes
Metastatic lung carcinoma
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Malignant and nonmalignant pain syndromes
Raeder paratrigeminal syndrome
Vertebral artery aneurysm
Cerebral venous thrombosis7
Pituitary tumors
Workup
Imaging Studies
Neuroimaging with assessment of intracranial and cervical vasculature, and the sellar and paranasal region, is recommended in every patient with atypical presentations of trigeminal autonomic headaches.
More on Cluster Headache |
| Overview: Cluster Headache |
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Cluster Headache |
| Treatment & Medication: Cluster Headache |
| Follow-up: Cluster Headache |
| References |
| « Previous Page | Next Page » |
References
Goadsby PJ. Pathophysiology of cluster headache: a trigeminal autonomic cephalgia. Lancet Neurol. Aug 2002;1(4):251-7. [Medline].
Holle D, Obermann M, Katsarava Z. The electrophysiology of cluster headache. Curr Pain Headache Rep. Apr 2009;13(2):155-9. [Medline].
Mendizabal JE, Umana E, Zweifler RM. Cluster headache: Horton's cephalalgia revisited. South Med J. Jul 1998;91(7):606-17. [Medline].
Lodi R, Pierangeli G, Tonon C, et al. Study of hypothalamic metabolism in cluster headache by proton MR spectroscopy. Neurology. 2006;66(8):1624-6. [Medline].
Kudrow L. Cluster headache: diagnosis and management. Headache. Apr 1979;19(3):142-50. [Medline].
Mathew NT. Cluster Headache. Neurology. 1992;42 (suppl 2):22-31. [Medline].
Peterlin BL, Levin M, Cohen JA, Ward TN. Secondary cluster headache: a presentation of cerebral thrombosis. Cephalalgia. 2006;26(8):1022-4. [Medline].
Rozen TD. Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias. Neurol Clin. May 2009;27(2):537-56. [Medline].
Sewell RA. Response of cluster headache to kudzu. Headache. Jan 2009;49(1):98-105. [Medline].
Ailani J, Young WB. The role of nerve blocks and botulinum toxin injections in the management of cluster headaches. Curr Pain Headache Rep. Apr 2009;13(2):164-7. [Medline].
Franzini A, Ferroli P, Leone M, Broggi G. Stimulation of the posterior hypothalamus for treatment of chronic intractable cluster headaches: first reported series. Neurosurgery. May 2003;52(5):1095-9; discussion 1099-101. [Medline].
Leone M, Proietti Cecchini A, Franzini A, et al. Lessons from 8 years' experience of hypothalamic stimulation in cluster headache. Cephalalgia. Jul 2008;28(7):787-97; discussion 798. [Medline].
Leone M, Franzini A, Broggi G, Bussone G. Hypothalamic stimulation for intractable cluster headache. Neurology. 2006;67(1):150-2. [Medline].
May A, Leone M. Update on cluster headache. Curr Opin Neurol. Jun 2003;16(3):333-40. [Medline].
Leone M. Deep brain stimulation in headache. Lancet Neurol. Oct 2006;5(10):873-7. [Medline].
Narouze S, Kapural L, Casanova J, Mekhail N. Sphenopalatine ganglion radiofrequency ablation for the management of chronic cluster headache. Headache. Apr 2009;49(4):571-7. [Medline].
Giraud P, Chauvet S. Cluster headache during pregnancy: case report and literature review. Headache. Jan 2009;49(1):136-9. [Medline].
Boes CJ, Capobianco DJ, Cutrer FM, Dodick DW, Eross EJ, Swanson JW. Headache and Other Crainofacial Pain. In: Bradley WG, Daroff RB, Fenichel GM, Jankovic J. Neurology in Clinical Practice: The Neurological Disorders. Vol 2. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Butterworth Heinemann; 2004:2090-1.
Ekbom K, Nappi G. Diagnosis, differential diagnosis, and prognosis of cluster headache. In: The Headaches. 1993:585-9.
Lance JW. Headache: Mechanism and Management. 5th ed. Boston, Mass: Butterworth-Heinemann; 1993.
Rozen TD. Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalgias. Neurology Continium. December 2006;12:170-193.
Further Reading
Keywords
cluster headache, CH, Bing-Horton syndrome, histaminic cephalalgia, cluster migraine, paroxysmal nocturnal cephalalgia, red migraine, erythromelalgia of the head, sphenopalatine neuralgia, migrainous neuralgia, periorbital pain, Horton’s headache
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Cluster Headache