Paroxysmal hemicrania: Case studies and review of the literature

Abstract

Paroxysmal hemicrania is a vascular-type headache that is characterized by short bouts of severe unilateral pain in the area of the orbit and temple. A chronic and episodic form that has been described is similar to cluster headache and reflects a distinctive temporal pattern. Signs associated with paroxysmal hemicrania include ipsilateral conjunctival injection and tearing with nasal congestion and rhinorrhea. The condition's absolute response to indomethacin pharmacotherapy differentiates paroxysmal hemicrania from cluster headache. Typical symptoms usually make for a relatively straightforward diagnosis of paroxysmal hemicrania, but it may masquerade as pulpitic or temporomandibular-joint-related pain and may even herald systemic disease or malignancy. Paroxysmal hemicrania is a rare syndrome; 111 cases have been reported in the literature thus far. All of these cases have been reported by “headache specialists”; no cases of paroxysmal hemicrania were found in the dental literature. In this review, a relatively large series of seven new cases is reported; all seven were seen in an orofacial pain clinic.