Positional cluster-like headache. A case report of a neurovascular compression between the third cervical root and the vertebral artery.
Symptomatic cluster-like headaches have been described with lesions of the trigeminal and parasympathetic systems. Here, we report the case of a 44-year-old woman with continuous auricular pain and a positional cluster-like headache associated with red ear syndrome. Clinical data and morphological investigations raised the hypothesis of a neurovascular compression between the C3 root and vertebral artery. Neurosurgical exploration found a fibrosis surrounding both the C3 root and the vertebral artery. The excellent outcome after microvascular cervical decompression suggests a causal relationship between the cluster-like headache and the vertebral constraint on the C3 root.
Université Lyon 1, France. christelle.creach@univ-st-etienne.fr
Christelle
C
Créac'h
Robert
R
Duthel
Fabrice
F
Barral
Christophe
C
Nuti
Malou
M
Navez
Genevieve
G
Demarquay
Bernard
B
Laurent
Roland
R
Peyron
D000328:Adult; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae; D003027:Cluster Headache / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D019299:Decompression, Surgical; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D013126:Spinal Nerve Roots / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery