title: Nummular headache and epicrania fugax: possible association of epicranias in eight patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Epicrania fugax (EF) is a novel syndrome presenting with brief pain paroxysms that always start in a particular area of the head to spread immediately either forward or backward. Paroxysms stem from a focal area, in which a well-shaped continuous pain reminiscent of the symptomatic area described in nummular headache (NH) can be present. We aimed to analyze the association of these two epicranial headaches in eight patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  We prospectively assessed all patients with EF attending an outpatient headache office from March 2008, when EF was first described, to June 2012. Among them, we selected those patients with a well-circumscribed continuous pain at the stemming point fulfilling the research diagnostic criteria for NH of the International Classification of Headache Disorders II Edition (ICHD-II) appendix. We considered the demographic and clinical features of the selected patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight patients (five females, three males) were diagnosed with both EF and NH. Mean age of onset was 44.2 ± 12 (range: 23-60). Regarding NH, the diameter of the painful area was 4.4 ± 1 centimeters (range: 3-6) and pain intensity was 4.2 ± 0.7 (range: 3-5) on a 10-point verbal analogical scale (VAS). As for the EF, the radiating paroxysms always started in the NH painful area and lasted 6.6 ± 4.5 seconds (range: 2-15), with a pain intensity of 7.9 ± 1.6 (range 5-10) on the VAS. Five cases had forward radiation, while three cases had backward EF. Four cases had ipsilateral autonomic accompaniments. Six patients required a preventive, and lamotrigine achieved complete response in three of them.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although the etiology of NH and EF remains uncertain, both syndromes seem to share a peripheral source. Their association in a number of patients is probably reflecting a pathophysiological connection. Lamotrigine might be a good therapeutic option for those patients presenting with both disorders.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Valladolid, Spain.
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Herrero-Velázquez
authors.forename: Angel L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Guerrero
authors.forename: María I
authors.initials: MI
authors.lastname: Pedraza
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Mulero
authors.forename: Beatriz
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ayllón
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ruiz-Piñero
authors.forename: Esther
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rojo
authors.forename: Javier
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Marco
authors.forename: Nieves
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Fernández-Buey
authors.forename: María L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Cuadrado
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000145:classification / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult