Cutrer, F. Michael

Background Spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD) is a cause of acute coronary syndrome predominantly in women without usual cardiovascular risk factors. Many have a history of migraine headaches, but this association is poorly understood. This study aimed to determine migraine prevalence among SCAD patients and assess differences in clinical factors based on migraine history. Methods and Results A cohort study was conducted using the Mayo Clinic SCAD “Virtual” Multi‐Center Registry composed of patients with SCAD as confirmed on coronary angiography. Participant‐provided data and records were reviewed for migraine history, risk factors, SCAD details, therapies, and outcomes. Among 585 patients (96% women), 236 had migraine history; the lifetime and 1‐year prevalence of migraine were 40% and 26%, respectively. Migraine was more common in SCAD women than comparable literature‐reported female populations (42% versus 24%, P <0.0001; 42% versus 33%, P <0.0001). Among all SCAD patients, those with migraine history were more likely to be female (99.6% versus 94%; P =0.0002); have SCAD at a younger age (45.2±9.0 years versus 47.6±9.9 years; P =0.0027); have depression (27% versus 17%; P =0.025); have recurrent post‐SCAD chest pain at 1 month (50% versus 39%; P =0.035); and, among those assessed, have aneurysms, pseudoaneurysms, or dissections (28% versus 18%; P =0.018). There was no difference in recurrent SCAD at 5 years for those with versus without migraine (15% versus 19%; P =0.39). Conclusions Many SCAD patients have a history of migraine. SCAD patients with migraine are younger at the time of SCAD; have more aneurysms, pseudoaneurysms, and dissections among those imaged; and more often report a history of depression and post‐SCAD chest pain. Clinical Trial Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifiers: NCT01429727, NCT01427179.

Premise Migraine can present with a wide range of neurological symptoms. Problem Based on currently available data, the symptoms of typical migraine aura are most likely related to cortical spreading depression (CSD), and evidence supports that CSD can lead to trigeminovascular activation resulting in the headache phase of migraine. Potential Solution An alternative diagnosis to migraine aura should be considered if migrainous headaches present with transient neurological symptoms that have features inconsistent with aura.

Objective To report a case series of a novel migraine subtype, which we term as episodic status migrainosus (ESM), characterized by attacks of migraine exclusively lasting more than 72 hours. We hypothesized that this would represent a novel nosologic entity, possibly an unstable migraine phenotype with a high conversion rate to chronic migraine (CM). Methods We conducted a retrospective review of patients diagnosed with status migrainosus at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, between January 2005 and December 2015. All the records were then manually reviewed for patients with migraine headaches exclusively lasting more than 72 hours. Results We identified 18 patients with ESM, with a female predominance (15(83.3%)) and a median age of onset of 16.5 (IQR 13–19) years. The median monthly attack frequency was two (IQR 1–3), with each attack lasting a median duration of seven (IQR 4–12.5) days. Stress was the most commonly reported precipitant (11 (61.1%)). Migraine with aura was common (10 (55.6%)), as was comorbid depression (10 (55.6%)). Fifteen (83.3%) patients developed CM at a median of 7.8 (IQR 2.6–21.9) years from their first attack. There was no significant association between the time to the development of chronic migraine with either attack frequency or duration. Conclusions and relevance We report the existence of a novel migraine subtype, episodic status migrainosus. This migraine subtype appears to have similar clinical characteristics to episodic migraine with or without aura, except for a notably high tendency to progress to chronic migraine.

This report reviews a series of 3 patients who developed superficial siderosis following posterior fossa operations in which dural closure was incomplete. In all 3 patients, revision surgery and complete duraplasty was performed to halt the progression of superficial siderosis. Following surgery, 2 patients experienced resolution of their CSF xanthochromia while 1 patient had reduced CSF xanthochromia. In this paper the authors also review the etiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment of this condition. The authors suggest that posterior fossa dural patency and pseudomeningocele are risk factors for the latent development of superficial siderosis and recommend that revision duraplasty be performed in patients with posterior fossa pseudomeningoceles and superficial siderosis to prevent progression of the disease.

Background Isolated neuralgic pain in the deep ear may arise from either nervus intermedius (NIN) or glossopharyngeal (GPN) neuralgias. Current International Headache Society (IHS) International Classification of Headache Disorders, second edition (ICHD-2) criteria for these cranial neuralgias require the presence of a characteristic trigger. Aim The aim of this article is to report cases of triggerless neuralgic otalgia to better understand a subset of patients for whom there may be diagnostic uncertainty. Methods Methods included an observational cohort series and systematic literature review. Results We identified five female patients with a median age at symptom onset of 58 (range: 47 to 73). Our patients generally experienced an excellent clinical response to carbamazepine. Patients were contacted by telephone at a median follow-up duration of seven years (range: four to 32) from symptom onset, at which time carbamazepine-free remissions were reported by five of five (100%) of the patients. A systematic review of the literature on neuralgic otalgia led us to conclude that NIN was most common among young women (age < 50), and GPN across a wider range of ages of either gender. Among surgically validated cases reported in the literature, triggers were frequently absent in NIN, and variably noted in GPN. Conclusions We conclude that the presence of a trigger is not fundamental, and may be impractical, to the diagnosis of neuralgic otalgia, but remains important for specificity between NIN and GPN.

The expansion of technologies available for the study of migraine pathophysiology has evolved greatly over the last 15 years. Two areas of rapid progress are investigations focusing on the genetics of migraine and others utilizing novel functional neuroimaging techniques. Genetic studies are increasingly focusing on sporadic migraine and the utilization of unbiased searches of the human genome to identify novel variants associated with disease susceptibility. At the same time, neuroimaging studies have provided novel insights into the altered neuronal and network dynamics of the migrainous brain. These 2 parallel approaches provide complementary insights into the complexity and heterogeneity of migraine.

Aim: To investigate the relationship between clinical mast cell activity and primary headache syndromes. Methods: We surveyed individuals with systemic mastocytosis, an uncommon disorder associated with increased mast cell activity. Diagnoses of primary headache syndromes in addition to the relationship of headache and symptoms of mastocytosis were ascertained. Results: A response rate of 64/148 (43.2%) was achieved. Headache diagnoses in our respondents (n = 64) were largely migraine (37.5%) and tension-type headaches (17.2%). Typical aura with and without migraine headache was highly represented in our patient population (n = 25, 39%). Three individuals met criteria for primary cough headache (4.7%). Symptoms reflective of mast cell activity were significantly greater in individuals reporting headaches. Patients experiencing headache concurrently with mastocytosis flairs were more likely to be male (p = 0.002), have histaminergic symptoms, such as itching (p = 0.02) and runny nose (p = 0.03), and have unilateral cranial autonomic features (p = 0.04). However, using standardized International Headache Society criteria, we did not identify individuals with cluster headache or other trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias in this population. Conclusions: Our observational survey-based data supports a clinical relationship between mast cell activity and primary headache syndromes. Generalizability of our results is limited by the low response rate and possible tertiary referral bias.