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Non–hypothalamic cluster headache: the role of the greater occipital nerve in cluster headache pathogenesis
The Journal of Headache and Pain volume 6, pages 149–151 (2005)
Abstract
Cluster headache is marked by its circadian rhythmicity and the hypothalamus appears to have a significant influence over cluster pathogenesis. However, as not all cluster patients present in the same manner and not all respond to the same combination of medications, there is likely a nonhypothalamic form of cluster headache. A patient is presented who began to develop cluster headaches after receiving bilateral greater occipital nerve (GON) blockade. His headaches fit the IHS criteria for cluster headache but had some irregularities including frequent side shifting of pain, irregular duration and time of onset and the ability of the patient to sit completely still during a headache without any sense of agitation. This article will suggest that some forms of cluster headache are not primarily hypothalamic influenced and that the GON may play a significant role in cluster pathogenesis in some individuals.
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Open Access This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/2.0 ), which permits any noncommercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author(s) and source are credited.
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Rozen, T.D. Non–hypothalamic cluster headache: the role of the greater occipital nerve in cluster headache pathogenesis. J Headache Pain 6, 149–151 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10194-005-0171-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10194-005-0171-4