title: [Hemicrania continua]
abstract: OBJECTIVE: To report a case of Hemicrania Continua in a female aged 17, who presented this kind of headache for 9 years without diagnosis. Although this may be a relatively rare primary headache, the immediate response to clinical treatment with indomethacin justifies this entity be better known. METHODS: Case report of a female adolescent who had presented Hemicrania Continua for many years, without diagnosis and adequate treatment. Review of the relevant medical literature by means of Medline. RESULTS: Treatment with low doses of indomethacin caused complete cessation of the headache. CONCLUSION: Hemicrania Continua must be considered as a diagnostic possibility for patients who present continuous unilateral headache, without abnormalities in the clinical, neurologic and laboratorial examination, irrespective of the age the headache starts. This is the youngest patient reported to have Hemicrania continua and it was brought to discussion by a medical student, aware of this possible diagnosis.
authors.affiliation: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas de Santos, Santos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Y D
authors.initials: YD
authors.lastname: Fragoso
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Machado