Elaboración de criterios diagnósticos del vértigo y la migraña

Introducción: El vértigo recurrente asociado a la migraña es una causa de vértigo en los pacientes con migraña. Aunque es una entidad controvertida cada vez más autores defienden esta entidad y publican sobre el tema. Con una fisiopatología posiblemente relacionada a la migraña los pacientes presentan crisis recurrentes de vértigo que pueden durar de horas a varios días, Típicamente no suelen ser posicionales y no se acompañan de otros síntomas neurootológicos. Dentro del diagnóstico diferencial se deben incluir las causas más habituales de vértigo recurrente, como la enfermedad de Ménière, la vestibulopatía autoinmune o el vértigo recurrente asociado a la migraña. Responde habitualmente a los mismos tratamientos de la migraña, de tal manera que las crisis pueden mejorar con triptanes y el vértigo con fármacos preventivos de la migraña. Objetivos: Elaborar y validar unos criterios diagnósticos para el vértigo recurrente asociado a la migraña fiables, válidos y con confiabilidad. Validar su uso en la consulta y evaluación telefónica. Determinar la frecuencia que aparecen el vértigo recurrente asociado a la migraña en los pacientes con migraña y estimar la prevalencia en la población general..

Acute monocular oligemia in a patient with migraine with aura demonstrated using OCT-angiography: A case report.

Introduction: Migraine is one of the most common causes of transient visual loss. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) provides fast and non-invasive imaging of the retinal vessels. We report one case of monocular retinal oligemia demonstrated using OCTA during a migraine attack with aura. Case description: A 27-year-old man with a previous history of migraine with visual aura was seen in the emergency room due to acute left hemicranial pain with positive visual symptoms in his right eye. The patient reported a blue stain in his right eye. Optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A) showed an extensive area of hypoperfusion in the macular region of his right eye. Forty-eight hours later visual symptoms had improved and the OCT-A showed a significant reduction in the area of hypoperfusion. Seven days later the patient was asymptomatic and retinal perfusion had returned to normal values. Conclusion: Monocular involvement suggests that these retinal vascular changes are independent from cerebral vascular changes, supporting the hypothesis of selective retinal ganglion cell layer spreading depression as the possible cause of some cases of retinal migraine.pre-print515 K

Neuroimaging in the evaluation of patients with non-acute headache

Available studies offer only limited guidance on neuroimaging of non-acute headache patients. The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of significant intracranial lesions in patients with headache and to determine the clinical variables helpful in identifying patients with intracranial lesions. All patients aged ≥l 15 years attending the Neurology Clinic with non-acute headache were included in the study and followed prospectively. Every patient was investigated by neuroimaging studies, either computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Neuroimaging results were classified as ‘significant abnormalities’, ‘nonsignificant abnormalities’ or ‘normal’. Significant abnormalities included neoplastic disease, hydrocephalus, vascular malformations, Chiari malformation, large arachnoid cysts, intracranial haemorrhage, and acute cerebral infarcts. Consecutive patients (n = 1876; 1243 women and 633 men) were included. Their mean age was 38 years (range 15-95 years). Neuroimaging studies detected significant lesions in 22 patients [1.2%, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.7, 1.8]. The rate of significant intracranial abnormalities in patients with headache and normal neurological examination was 0.9% (95% CI 0.5, 1.4). The only clinical variable associated with a higher probability of intracranial abnormalities was neurological examination. The proportion of patients with headache and intracranial lesions is relatively small, but neither neurological examination nor the features in the clinical history permit us to rule out such abnormalitie

Editorial: Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Care for Neurological Conditions

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has caused a wide range of unprecedentedconsequences, including social, economic, and health disruptions. From the point of view ofhealthcare assistance, COVID-19 has deeply impacted usual practice at all levels since the beginningof 2020. In this setting, neurological assistance has adapted to the circumstances of the pandemic. Infact, because COVID-19 involves neurological symptoms, affected patients require the attention ofneurologists, and the high demand for clinical care entailed the recruitment ofmany neurologists tofrontline assistance (1). In addition, the pandemic has impacted the management of patients withneurological disorders, with changes in the management of relapses, usual follow-up, diagnosticprocedures, implementation or generalization of telemedicine, etc. Lockdown and social isolationwere also very harmful in patients with neurological disorders (2). Furthermore, the treatment ofneurological emergencies, such as stroke, was also compromised because of resource re-allocationduring the emergency, and the fear of patients to attend the hospital.The neurological community needed to share experiences about how to face this globalchallenge. Accordingly, this Research Topic was launched in April 2020 to address these issues.Over 117 manuscripts were submitted, and 76 papers have been published, including originals,reviews, and case reports. Studies have covered the main areas of neurological care, includinggeneral neurological care, stroke, epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, movement disorders, cognitiveneurology, neuromuscular disorders, headache, and neuropediatricsFil: Matias Guiu, Jordi A.. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; EspañaFil: Sung, Sheng Feng. No especifíca;Fil: Hsieh, Cheng Yang. No especifíca;Fil: Nezu, Tomohisa. No especifíca;Fil: Porta Etessam, Jesús. Universidad Complutense de Madrid; EspañaFil: Allegri, Ricardo Francisco. Fundación para la Lucha contra las Enfermedades Neurológicas de la Infancia; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Factors Associated with the Differences in Migraine Prevalence Rates between Spanish Regions

We have analyzed the relation of prevalence rates in Spanish regions with a series of human, environmental, and ecological factors. We find that the variability in migraine rates found between Spanish regions may be explained by interregional differences in the percentage of daily smokers, percentage of alcohol consumers, percentage of population presenting physical and/or psychological life-limiting conditions, percentage of population engaging in physical exercise, minimum absolute temperatures per year, number of days under 0°C per year, and altitude

Wallenberg’s syndrome and symptomatic trigeminal neuralgia

Symptomatic trigeminal neuralgia due to a brainstem infarction is said to be rare. However, facial pain is not uncommon in Wallenberg’s syndrome. Facial pain related to a Wallenberg’s syndrome may be either persistent of intermittent, and occasionally occurs in brief attacks. Here, we report a patient with a right lateral medullary infarction who started having first division trigeminal neuralgia 1 month after the stroke. The pain paroxysms were suppressed with gabapentin

Prevalence and clinical characteristics of Charles Bonnet syndrome in Madrid, Spain

Purpose: Charles Bonnet syndrome (CBS) is a condition characterized by development of visual hallucinations in patients with no cognitive impairment and significant loss of vision mainly caused by age-related macular degeneration (AMD) or glaucoma. Methods: This was a study of prevalence and characteristics of CBS diagnosed at the Neuroophthalmic Unit within the Ophthalmology Department of Hospital Clínico San Carlos (HCSC), Madrid, Spain. Results: The CBS prevalence in patients from HCSC Madrid is 0.47%, rising to 15% in patients with low vision. Women over 80 years of age comprised 58.3% of the patients, who mainly had AMD (58.3%). Main characteristics of hallucinations included animals (50%), color (58.3%), moving (75%), 6- to 12-month evolution (50%), three times a day frequency (75%), and 3- to 5-minute duration (50%). Conclusions: Charles Bonnet syndrome is a complex process that must be treated jointly by ophthalmologists, neurologists, and psychiatrists in order to ensure accurate diagnosis and adequate management. New studies are needed in order to improve awareness of clinical manifestation of this condition, the incidence of which is underestimated due to patients' fear of being branded mentally ill, as well as physicians' lack of knowledge about CBS

Diagnosis and treatment of trigeminal neuralgia: Consensus statement from the Spanish Society of Neurology's Headache Study Group

Trigeminal neuralgia; Painful trigeminal neuropathy; Interventional radiologyNeuràlgia del trigemin; Neuropatia trigeminal dolorosa; Radiologia intervencionistaNeuralgia del trigémino; Neuropatía trigeminal dolorosa; Radiología IntervencionistaIntroducción La neuralgia del trigémino (NT) es un tipo de dolor neuropático que afecta a una o más ramas del nervio trigémino. Aunque su prevalencia poblacional es relativamente baja, la NT supone un problema muy importante tanto en las consultas de neurología como en las urgencias por la dificultad para el diagnóstico y el tratamiento y el elevado impacto sobre la calidad de vida de las personas que la padecen. Por estos motivos, el Grupo de Estudio de Cefaleas de la Sociedad Española de Neurología ha elaborado un documento de consenso sobre el manejo de esta patología. Desarrollo Este documento ha sido redactado por un comité de expertos utilizando la nomenclatura de la clasificación de la International Headache Society (IHS), analizando la evidencia científica publicada sobre diagnóstico y tratamiento y estableciendo unas recomendaciones prácticas con niveles de evidencia. Conclusiones El diagnóstico de la NT es clínico. La International Classification of Headache Disorders en su tercera edición (ICHD-3) clasifica el dolor atribuible a una lesión o enfermedad del nervio trigémino en NT y neuropatía trigeminal dolorosa. A su vez, la NT puede dividirse en tres tipos principales según la etiología del dolor: clásica, idiopática y secundaria. Es recomendable la realización de una resonancia magnética (RM) craneal a todo paciente con diagnóstico clínico de NT para descartar causas secundarias. Para estudiar la presencia de una compresión neurovascular con RM se recomienda la aplicación de los protocolos de imagen FIESTA, DRIVE o CISS. El tratamiento inicialmente será farmacológico. En pacientes seleccionados con respuesta insuficiente o mala tolerancia a fármacos se debe valorar el tratamiento quirúrgico.Introduction Trigeminal neuralgia (TN) is a chronic neuropathic pain disorder affecting one or more branches of the trigeminal nerve. Despite its relatively low global prevalence, TN is an important healthcare problem both in neurology departments and in emergency departments due to the difficulty of diagnosing and treating the condition and its significant impact on patients’ quality of life. For all these reasons, the Spanish Society of Neurology's Headache Study Group has developed a consensus statement on the management of TN. Development This document was drafted by a panel of neurologists specialising in headache, who used the terminology of the International Headache Society. We analysed the published scientific evidence on the diagnosis and treatment of TN and establish practical recommendations with levels of evidence. Conclusions The diagnosis of TN is based on clinical criteria. Pain attributed to a lesion or disease of the trigeminal nerve is divided into TN and painful trigeminal neuropathy, according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, third edition. TN is further subclassified into classical, secondary, or idiopathic, according to aetiology. Brain MRI is recommended in patients with clinical diagnosis of TN, in order to rule out secondary causes. In MRI studies to detect neurovascular compression, FIESTA, DRIVE, or CISS sequences are recommended. Pharmacological treatment is the initial choice in all patients. In selected cases with drug-resistant pain or poor tolerance, surgery should be considered

Charles Bonnet syndrome in a child with congenital glaucoma

Case report: The case is presented of a 12 year-old boy with congenital glaucoma and low visual acuity diagnosed with Charles Bonnet syndrome. This consisted of the acute onset of complex, repetitive, persistent, and with visual hallucinations (people, brooms and coffeemakers) of self-limited evolution without treatment. The patient was diagnosed with congenital glaucoma at 3 years of age, and subjected to a trabeculectomy in right eye, and trabeculectomy and keratoplasty in his left eye. Discussion: Charles Bonnet syndrome symptoms have been described in adults, but their presence in children is poorly reflected in literature, with unknown characteristics and prevalence

Orthostatic headache and bilateral abducens palsy secondary to spontaneous intracranial hypotension

Spontaneous intracranial hypotension (SIH) is a well-documented syndrome characterized typically by a benign, self-limited course. Patients typically present with postural or exertional headaches that can be temporarily relieved by lying in a supine or recumbent position. A 35-year-old Caucasian male suffered orthostatic headache that developed to a bilateral abducens palsy. We ordered relative rest and the patient improved and completely recovered after 3 months. Although SIH is considered as a benign and self limited process it could also be associated with disabling complications. We should be aware of the possible complications and inform our patients. SIH can present with headache and bilateral abducens palsy even when the headache is improving