Secondary stabbing headache associated with intracranial tumors, aneurysms, and arteriovenous malformation: An alarming warning sign

Abstract

Background: Stabbing headache (SH) is considered as a pure primary headache, but according to a few clinical observations it could also be secondary. Over the past decades, we have been observing the complaint of SH in patients with intracranial vascular and neoplastic lesions. Objective: To describe a series of patients with intracranial lesions who experienced SH.

Menstrually-related stabbing headache in a patient without migraine: case report

“…2,3,7,8 Cases of secondary stabbing headache have also been published. [9][10][11][12][13][14][15] The authors report a case of a woman suffering from a stabbing headache which features that has not been previously described -a menstrual pattern in the presentation of stabbing headache attacks.…”

“…3,17,18 We recently described a series of patients with stabbing headache secondary to intracranial lesions, such as tumors and aneurysms. 9 Interestingly, these lesions touched the dura mater, suggesting the cause was an irritation of the neural structures innervating the dura mater. 9 In secondary cases of stabbing headache, some patients reported characteristics that seem to be linked to the association of this type of headache with intracranial lesions.…”

“…9 Interestingly, these lesions touched the dura mater, suggesting the cause was an irritation of the neural structures innervating the dura mater. 9 In secondary cases of stabbing headache, some patients reported characteristics that seem to be linked to the association of this type of headache with intracranial lesions. 9 These characteristics are: a crescent pattern, triggered by head movement, precipitated by Valsalva's maneuvers, and always being in the same point of the head.…”