Summary
A patient with migraine headaches of the “cluster” variant type is presented in whom vasospasm of the middle cerebral artery, the anterior cerebral artery and the internal carotid artery triggered a pain episode identical in character and severity to the headaches which had led to her investigation. Vasospasm associated with the painful phase of headache in this case conflicts with the more accepted theory that the pain phase of a vascular headache is related to vasodilatation of cerebral or extracerebral vessels. The literature is reviewed.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Friedman AP, Finley KH, Graham JB, Kunkle EC, Ostfield AM (1960) Classification of headache. JAMA 170:717–718
Dalessio DJ (1974) Mechanisms and biochemistry of headache. Postgrad Med 56:55–62
Friedman AP, Mikropoulos HE (1958) Cluster headaches. Neurology 8:653–663
Graham JR (1974) Cluster headache. Postgrad Med 56:181–184
Ekbom K (1974) Clinical aspects of cluster headache. Headache 13:176–180
Ziegler DK (1974) Migraine diagnostic and therapeutic aspects. Postgrad Med 56:169–174
Dukes HT, Vieth RG (1964) Cerebral arteriography during migraine prodrome and headache. Neurology 14:636–639
Walsh JO, O'Doherty DS (1960) A possible explanation of the mechanism of ophthalmoplegic migraine. Neurology 10:1079–1084
Bickerstaff ER (1964) Ophthalmoplegic migraine. Rev Neurol 110:582–587
Ekbom K, Greitz T (1970) Carotid angiography in cluster headache. Acta Radiol Diagn 10:177–186
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Garnic, J.D., Schellinger, D. Arterial spasm as a finding intimately associated with the onset of vascular headache. Neuroradiology 24, 273–276 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00333180
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00333180