Thunderclap Headache

Czech version

Authors: D. Doležil ¹; T. Peisker ¹; V. Doležilová ²; S. Obermannová ¹; V. Janík ³
Authors‘ workplace: Univerzita Karlova v Praze, 3. LF, Neurologická klinikaa FN Královské Vinohrady, Praha ¹; RTG oddělení, MEDICON, a. s. ²; Univerzita Karlova v Praze, 3. LF, Radiodiagnostická klinika a FN Královské Vinohrady, Praha ³
Published in: Cesk Slov Neurol N 2010; 73/106(3): 231-236
Category: Review Article

Overview

Thunderclap headache is a severe and explosive headache that reaches maximum intensity at or within 60 seconds of onset. Primary thunderclap headache lasts from 1 hour to 10 days and diagnosis can be made only after exclusion of other disorders. First, every thunderclap headache must be considered symptomatic of, for example, subarachnoid haemorrhage, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis or cerebral artery dissection. Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome is also characterised by thunderclap headache, with or without neurological symptoms and with constriction of cerebral arteries that resolves within three months without evidence of subarachnoid haemorrhage.

Key words:
thunderclap headache – subarachnoid haemorrhage – sentinel headache – reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome

Sources

1. Headache Classification Subcommittee of the international Headache Society. The international classification of headache disorders. 2nd ed. Cephalalgia 2004; 2 (Suppl 1): 9– 160.

2. Opavský J, Keller O, Kotas R, Mastík J, Marková J, Rejda et al. Česká verze revidované Mezinárodní klasifikace bolestí hlavy (ICHD‑ II) navržené a předložené Mezinárodní společností pro bolesti hlavy. Cesk Slov Neurol N 2005; 68/ 101(2): 133– 138.

3. Polmear A. Sentinel headaches in aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage: what is the true incidence? A systematic review. Cephalalgia 2003; 23: 935– 941.

4. Ducros A, Boukobza M, Porcher R, Sarov M, Valade D, Bousser MG. The clinical and radiological spectrum of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. A prospective series of 67 patients. Brain 2007; 130(12): 3091– 3101.

5. Chen SP, Fuh JL, Lirng JF, Chang FC, Wang SJ. Recurrent primary thunderclap headache and benign CNS angiopathy: spectra of the same disorder? Neurology 2006; 67(12): 2164– 2169.

6. Kirton A, Diggle J, Hu W, Wirrell E. A pediatric case of reversible segmental cerebral vasoconstriction. Can J Neurol Sci 2006; 33(2): 250– 253.

7. Ducros A, Bousser MG. Reversible, cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. Pract Neurol 2009; 9(5): 256– 267.

8. Dodick DW, Wijdicks EF, Ducros A. Emergency headache, including thunderclap headache. In: Dalesio DJ (ed). Wolff’s Headache and other head pain. 8th ed. New York: Oxford University Press 2008: 747– 765.

9. Calabrese LH, Dodick DW, Schwedt TJ, Singhal AB. Narrative review: reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. Ann Intern Med 2007; 146(1): 34– 44.

10. Dodick DW, Brown RD Jr, Britton JW, Huston J3rd. Nonaneurysmal thunderclap headache with diffuse, multifocal, segmental, and reversible vasospasm. Cephalalgia 1999; 19(2): 118– 123.

11. Call GK, Fleming MC, Sealfon S, Levine H, Kistler JP, Fisher CM. Reversible cerebral segmental vasoconstriction. Stroke 1988; 19(9): 1159– 1170.

12. Bartynski WS. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, part 1: fundamental imaging and clinical features. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2008; 29(6): 1036– 1042.

13. Bartynski WS. Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome, part 2: controversies surrounding pathophysiology of vasogenic edema. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol 2008; 29(6): 1043– 1049.

14. Lee VH, Wijdicks EF, Manno EM, Rabinstein AA. Clinical spectrum of reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy syndrome. Arch Neurol 2008; 65(2): 205– 210.

15. Doss‑ Esper CE, Singhal AB, Smith MS, Henderson GV. Reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy, cerebral vasoconstriction, and strokes after intravenous immune globulin therapy in Guillain‑Barre syndrome. J Neuroimaging 2005; 15(2): 188– 192.

16. Edlow JA, Caplan LR. Avoiding pitfalls in the diagnosis of subarachnoidal hemorrhage. N Engl J Med 2000; 342(1): 29– 36.

17. Sato M, Nakano M, Sasanuma J, Asari J, Watanabe K. Preoperative cerebral aneurysm assessment by three‑ dimensional magnetic resonance angiography: feasibility of surgery without conventional catheter angiography. Neurosurgery 2005; 56(5): 903– 912.

18. de Bruijn SF, Stam J, Kappelle LJ. Thunderclap headache as the first symptom of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis. CVTS study group. Lancet 1996; 348(9042): 1623– 1625.

19. Cumurciuc R, Crassard I, Sarov M, Valade D, Bousser MG. Headache as the only neurological sign of cerebral venous thrombosis: a series of 17 cases. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2005; 76(8): 1084– 1087.

20. Cantú C, Barinagarrementeria F. Cerebral venous thrombosis associated with pregnancy and puerperium. Review of 67 cases. Stroke 1993; 24(12): 1880– 1884.

21. Silbert PL, Mokri B, Schievink WI. Headache and neck pain in spontaneous internal carotid and vertebral artery dissections. Neurology 1995; 45(8): 1517– 1522.

22. Mitsias P, Ramadan NM. Headache in ischemic cerebrovascular disease. Part I: clinical features. Cephalalgia 1992; 12(5): 269– 274.

23. Embil JM, Matthias K, Kinnear R. A blinding headache. Lancet 1997; 350: 182.

24. Dodick DW, Wijdicks EF. Pituitary apoplexy presenting as a thunderclap headache. Neurology 1998; 50(5): 1510– 1511.

25. Macháčková M, Látr I, Hejcmanová D. Oční manifestace u pituitární apoplexie – kazuistika. Cesk Slov Neurol N 2009; 72/ 105(5): 456– 460.

26.Koopman K, Uyttenboogaart M, Luijckx GJ, De Keyser J, Vroomen PC. Pitfalls in the diagnosis of reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome and primary angiitis of the central nervous system. Eur J Neurol 2007; 14(10): 1085– 1087.

27. Schievink WI, Wijdicks EF, Meyer FB, Sonntag VK. Spontaneous intracranial hypotension mimicking aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Neurosurgery 2001; 48(3): 513– 517.

28. Mokri B. Headaches caused by decreased intracranial pressure: diagnosis and management. Curr Opin Neurol 2003; 16(3): 319– 326.

29. Ferrante E, Savino A. Thunderclap headache caused by spontaneous intracranial hypotension. Neurol Sci 2005; 26 (Suppl 2): S155– S157.

30. Hajj‑ Ali RA, Furlan A, Abou‑ Chebel A, Calabrese LH. Benign angiopathy of the central nervous system: cohort of 16 patients with clinical course and long‑ term follow‑up. Arthritis Rheum 2002; 47(6): 662– 669.

31. Dodick DW. Reversible segmental cerebral vasoconstriction (Call‑Fleming syndrome): the role of calcium antagonists. Cephalalgia 2003; 23(3): 163– 165.

32. Lu SR, Liao YC, Fuh JL, Lirng JF, Wang SJ. Nimodipine for treatment of primary thunderclap headache. Neurology 2004; 62(8): 1414– 1416.

33. Bouchard M, Verreault S, Gariepy J, Dupre N. Intraarterial milrinone for reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome. Headache 2009; 49(1): 142– 145.