Common Clinical and Molecular Pathways between Migraine and Sarcoidosis

Abstract

Migraine and sarcoidosis are two distinct medical conditions that may have some common biological and clinical pathways. Sarcoidosis is a chronic granulomatous disease characterized by the formation of granulomas in various organs, including the lungs, skin, cardiovascular system, lymph nodes, and brain. Migraine is a common comorbidity in sarcoidosis patients and a common neurological disorder characterized by recurrent headaches that can be accompanied by other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and sound. There have been several reports of individuals with neurosarcoidosis experiencing migraines, though the exact relationship between the two disorders is not well understood. Both conditions have been associated with inflammation and the activation of the immune system. In sarcoidosis, the formation of granulomas is thought to be an immune response to the presence of an unknown antigen. Similarly, the pain and other symptoms associated with migraines are thought to be caused by inflammation in the brain and the surrounding blood vessels. There is also evidence to suggest an interplay of environmental and genetic factors playing a role in both conditions, but evidence is inconsistent with the hypothesis of shared genetic susceptibility. This review aims to illustrate common clinical and biological pathways between migraine and sarcoidosis, including inflammation and dysregulation of the immune system, with a focus on the cumulative burden of concurrent disorders and therapeutic implications.

Health equity, care access and quality in headache – part 1

“…The recent widespread diffusion of a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has radically changed the epidemiological, clinical and diagnostic scenario of several disorders, especially headache [ 18 ]. In the context of the pandemic from the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), headache can be a clinical manifestation of the acute form of the disease, or the persistent, difficult-to-treat and disabling symptom of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (also known as long COVID headache) or can act as comorbidity with COVID-19, with a synergy effect on clinical picture in term of intensity of pain and refractoriness to the treatment [ 19 , 20 ].…”