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Red Ear Syndrome

  • Uncommon and/or Unusual Headaches and Syndromes (J Ailani, Section Editor)
  • Published:
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Abstract

The Red ear syndrome (RES) is an intriguing syndrome originally described for the first time nearly 20 years ago. RES is characterized by unilateral/bilateral episodes of pain and burning sensation of the ear, associated with ipsilateral erythema. RES episodes are indeed isolated in some patients, but they can occur in association with primary headaches, including in particular migraine in the developmental age. Although the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms are still uncertain, in the recent years the described comorbidities have aroused increasing interest because of possible clinical implications. Moreover, RES seems to be more often associated with clinical features of migraine partially provoked by the involvement of the parasympathetic system. This clinical association has shed new light on the pathophysiology of RES, supporting the hypothesis of a shared pathophysiological background, for example, through the activation of the trigeminal autonomic reflex. Current therapies of RES will be also discussed. Finally, we will resume the more controversial aspects of this relatively new and probably underestimated neurological syndrome.

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Author information

Author notes

    Authors and Affiliations

    1. U.O.NPI, P.O. “G. Di Cristina” ARNAS CIVICO, Via dei Benedettini 1, 90135, Palermo, Italy

      V. Raieli

    2. U.O.S. Servizio per l’Età Evolutiva - U.O.C. Infanzia Adolescenza Famiglia, Azienda Socio-Sanitaria ULSS7, Pieve di Soligo, Italy

      A. Compagno

    3. Dipartimento di Biomedicina Sperimentale e Neuroscienze Cliniche (BioNeC), Università degli Studi di Palermo, Palermo, Italy

      M. D’Amelio

    Authors
    1. V. Raieli
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    2. A. Compagno
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    3. M. D’Amelio
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    Corresponding author

    Correspondence to V. Raieli.

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    V. Raieli, A. Compagno, and M. D’Amelio declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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    This article does not contain any studies with human or animal subjects performed by any of the authors.

    Additional information

    This article is part of the Topical Collection on Uncommon and/or Unusual Headaches and Syndromes

    V. Raieli, A. Compagno and M. D’Amelio contributed equally to this work.

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    Raieli, V., Compagno, A. & D’Amelio, M. Red Ear Syndrome. Curr Pain Headache Rep 20, 19 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-016-0547-y

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11916-016-0547-y

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