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Current Pain and Headache Reports
Published in:

01-04-2016 | Uncommon and/or Unusual Headaches and Syndromes (J Ailani, Section Editor)

Epicrania Fugax

Authors: María Luz Cuadrado, Angel L. Guerrero, Juan A. Pareja

Published in: Current Pain and Headache Reports | Issue 4/2016

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Abstract

Epicrania fugax (EF) is a primary headache of recent description. EF essentially consists of brief paroxysms of pain describing a linear or zigzag trajectory across the surface of one hemicranium, commencing and terminating in the territories of different nerves. The pain of forward EF originates in a particular area of the occipital, parietal or temporal regions and moves anteriorly, whereas the pain of backward EF originates in the frontal area, the eye or the nose and moves posteriorly. Some patients have ocular or nasal autonomic accompaniments, and some have triggers. Between attacks, many patients have continuous or intermittent pain and/or tenderness at the stemming area. Pain frequency is extremely variable and some patients have spontaneous remissions. Preventive therapy is required when the paroxysms are frequent and non-remitting. Neuromodulators, indomethacin, amitryptiline, nerve anesthetic blockades, and trochlear steroid injections have been used in different cases, with partial or complete response.
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Metadata
Title
Epicrania Fugax
Authors
María Luz Cuadrado
Angel L. Guerrero
Juan A. Pareja
Publication date
01-04-2016
Publisher
Springer US
Published in
Current Pain and Headache Reports / Issue 4/2016
Print ISSN: 1531-3433
Electronic ISSN: 1534-3081
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-016-0557-9

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