Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing secondary to head and neck trauma: Literature review and case report

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    6 Scopus citations

    Abstract

    This article reports a case of secondary short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing following head and neck trauma due to a violent assault. Following the incident, the patient began experiencing 4 to 30 shooting/sharp pain attacks per day in the left anterior temporal and supraorbital areas, with an intensity of 10/10 on a numeric rating scale. Each attack lasted between 10 and 60 seconds. These attacks were accompanied by ipsilateral conjunctival injection, tearing, ptosis of the left eye, blurry vision, and occasional rhinorrhea. Significant improvements in sleep, autonomic symptoms, and pain were observed with a combination of melatonin 10 mg per day, gabapentin 300 mg twice daily, physical therapy, and psychotherapy. This case highlights the relevance of a multidisciplinary approach in the treatment of challenging cases when there is evidence of more than one contributing factor, with the aim of reducing pain and improving the patient's quality of life.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)68-72
    Number of pages5
    JournalJournal of Oral and Facial Pain and Headache
    Volume30
    Issue number1
    DOIs
    StatePublished - 2016

    Bibliographical note

    Publisher Copyright:
    © 2016 by Quintessence Publishing Co Inc.

    Keywords

    • Cervical trauma
    • Gabapentin
    • Melatonin
    • Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache with conjunctival injection and tearing
    • Trigeminal-autonomic cephalalgias

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Dentistry (miscellaneous)
    • Clinical Neurology
    • Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine

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