%0 Journal Article
%T Ictal headache: Insights from two cases
%A Arens Taga
%A Irene Florindo
%J Cephalalgia
%@ 1468-2982
%D 2018
%R 10.1177/0333102418758281
%X We report the first literature description of ictal epileptic headaches closely mimicking glossopharyngeal neuralgia and short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing. A 37-year-old man complained of short-lasting, electric-shock like headache, confined to the pharynx. During the episodes, he could not speak because he felt ˇ°words blocked at the throatˇ±. An EEG recorded epileptic discharges concomitant with headache; a brain MRI disclosed frontal polymicrogyria. A 66-year-old man complained of short-lasting, right periocular headache, associated with ipsilateral ptosis, conjunctival injection and lacrimation. Some episodes were followed by tonic contraction of the right facial and limb muscles; on one occasion, headache was followed by a generalized seizure. A brain MRI revealed hippocampal abnormalities. These cases highlight the complex relationship between headache and epilepsy, and suggest a possible contribution of cortical structures to the genesis of paroxysmal headaches such as glossopharyngeal neuralgia and short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing
%K Glossopharyngeal neuralgia
%K SUNCT
%K ictal headache
%K epilepsy
%K cortical pain processing
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0333102418758281