Abstract
BackgroundLinear headache (LH) has recently been described as a paroxysmal or continuous fixed head pain restricted in a linear trajectory of 5–10 mm in width, linking one endpoint in occipital or occipitocervical region with another endpoint in ipsilateral nasion or forehead region. For some patients, this headache had some features resembling migraine without aura.MethodsWe made a prospective search of patients presenting with a clinical picture comprised under the heading of LH and we have accessed eight new cases. A detailed clinical feature of the headache was obtained in all cases to differentiate with cranial neuralgia, paroxysmal hemicrania, cervicogenic headache, nummular headache and migraine.ResultsThe eight LH patients complained of a recurrent moderate to severe, distending, pulsating, or pressure-like pain within a strictly unilateral line-shaped area. The headache duration would be ranged from 1 h to 2 days or persistent for 1–6 months with recurrent worsening of headaches. For some patients, this headache had couple of features similar to that of migraine pattern, such as accompaniments of nausea, vomiting, and phonophobia, diziness, triggering factors of noise, bright night, resting after physical activity, fatigue, menstruation, and response to anti-migraine therapy.ConclusionsThis description reinforces the proposal of LH as a new headache syndrome or a new variant of a previously known headache syndrome, probably of migraine.
Highlights
Linear headache (LH) has recently been described as a paroxysmal or continuous fixed head pain restricted in a linear trajectory of 5–10 mm in width, linking one endpoint in occipital or occipitocervical region with another endpoint in ipsilateral nasion or forehead region
LH is basically characterized by recurrent or chronic unilateral pain circumscribed in a line-shaped area linking one endpoint in occipital or occipitocervical region with another one endpoint in ipsilateral nose or forehead region, accompanied with or without nausea, vomiting, dizziness and mild temporal pain
Anti-migraine therapies have been shown effective in individual patients
Summary
Linear headache (LH) has recently been described as a paroxysmal or continuous fixed head pain restricted in a linear trajectory of 5–10 mm in width, linking one endpoint in occipital or occipitocervical region with another endpoint in ipsilateral nasion or forehead region. Linear headache (LH) may represent a new headache syndrome or a variant of migraine as proposed recently based on the clinical features of twelve patients who presented with a paroxysmal or chronic fixed head pain restricted in a linear trajectory linking the occipital or occipitocervical region with the ipsilateral nasion or forehead region (Wang et al 2014b). In some patients, this head pain was accompanied with nausea, vomitting and dizziness. We describe eight new cases with the same clinical features and their therapeutic responses to different medications
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