Clinical Evaluation of Headache in Pa- Tients with Epilepsy in a Tertiary Care
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Stanley Medical Journal ORIGINAL ARTICLE - NEUROLOGY CLINICAL EVALUATION OF HEADACHE IN PA- TIENTS WITH EPILEPSY IN A TERTIARY CARE HOSPITAL K.Mugundhan (1), T.C.R.Ramakrishnan (2). Abstract Aim: The aim of the study is to analyse and classify headaches occurring in patients with epilepsy and study the pattern of headaches associated with different types of epilepsies . Setting and design : It is a Cross Sectional Descriptive study of Patients with epilepsy who have headache either inter- ictally or periictally or both were taken up for the study. Materials and Methods | 2016 4 | October-December 3 | Issue Vol Study Design: Cross Sectional Descriptive study. Study Population: Patients with epilepsy who have headache either interictally or peri ictally or both who attended Neurology O.P. Government General Hospital, Chennai during the study period (July 2003 to August 2005) were taken up for the study. Inclusion Criteria: Patients with epilepsy who have inter ictal headache of >3 months duration antecedent to or after the onset of seizures and Patients with epilepsy who have peri ictal headache Exclusion Criteria: Patients with epilepsy who developed sudden onset severe headache, headache with systemic signs such as fever, neck stiffness, cutaneous rash, headache with papilloedema, headache triggered by cough, exertion or valsalva maneuver were excluded from the study. Patients with epilepsy who have either interictal or perictal headaches who did not have any features of exclusion criteria were selected for the study. Statistical analysis used : SPSS software Results : The total number of patients studied were 124 of which males comprised 33% (n=42) and females 66% (n= 82). The most common type of seizures seen were generalised tonic clonic seizures which is 42% of patients (n=52) and 38.7% of patients (n=48) have secondary generalised tonic-clonic seizures. Among 48 patients with 2*GTCS, 27 cases were of simple partial seizures with secondary generalisation and 21 were of complex partial in nature with secondary generaliza- tion. Interictal headache was present in 82 patients (66.6%) and seizure associated headache in 42 patients (33.4%) with epilepsy. Among 77 patients with primary headache, migraine type headache was seen in 54% (n=45) of patients and Tension type headache occurred in 30.4% (n=25) of patients, Episodic cluster headache was seen in one patient and pri- mary stabbing headache was seen in 6 patients with epilepsy. Secondary headache was seen in 6% (n=5) of patients with epilepsy. Among 42 patients with seizure associated headache, 24 (19.3%) had headache which might be an ictus without accompanying seizure activity classified as headache which could not be elsewhere classified (14.1) and 18 had (14.5%) pre ictal, ictal or post ictal headache. Conclusion : The most common type of seizures seen in patients with headache is primary generalized tonic-clonic seizures with primary headache seen in 94% of patients and secondary headache in the remaining. Migraine without aura type of headache is the most common primary headache seen interictally in patients with epilepsy. There is no specific correlation between headache subtype and type of epilepsy. Seizure associated headaches is seen in 14.5% of patients either as pre ictal, ictal or post ictal headache. Key Words : Headache,Epilepsy postulated pathophysiological mechanism of migraine and INTRODUCTION epileptic seizures may be the link between these two autono- Epilepsy and headache are common neurological mous disorders6. An association between migraine and epi- problems seen in neurological practice. The relationship be- lepsy has been demonstrated in several studies 5,7. But the tween headache and epilepsy remains unresolved1. In the data are complicated, and the studies have been limited by last century Gowers first advanced the clinical hypothesis small numbers. As there are only few studies evaluating the of a relationship between epilepsy and migraine 2. since the characteristics of headache in patients with epilepsy we have two conditions show a well-recognized clinical, pathophysi- done a study in our centre to analyse headache characteris- ological and therapeutic overlap 3. Neuronal hyperexcit- tics in patients with epilepsy. ability might explain the co morbidity between headache and epilepsy, such as Na + −K + ATPase pump impairment, converging on a common final pathway represented by neu- Please Scan this QR Code to ronal membrane hyperexcitability, could manifest as either View this Article Online 95 epilepsy or headache/migraine 4 . Spreading depression a DOI: 11th January 2017 Article ID: 2017:03:04:18:174 1. DEPT.OF NEUROLOGY, GOVT.MOHAN KUMARAMANGALAM MEDICAL COLLEGE HOSPITAL, SALEM,TAMILNADU. 2. CONSULTANT NEUROPHYSICIAN,KG HOSPITAL& PG INSTITUTE,COIMBATORE. Stanley Medical Journal MATERIALS AND METHODS ated headache) on the basis of its relationship with epilepsy. STUDY DESIGN: Cross Sectional Descriptive study. Patients with interictal headache, who have structural le- STUDY POPULATION: Patients with epilepsy who sions or other recognisable causes such as sinusitis, cervi- have headache either interictally or peri ictally or both who cal spine disease were classified as secondary headache as attended Neurology O.P. Government General Hospital, recommended in the International Headache society clas- Chennai during the study period (July 2003 to August 2005) sification and those without a recognisable cause as having were taken up for the study. primary headache. All patients in the study were examined INCLUSION CRITERIA: Patients with epilepsy who clinically for focal neurological deficit. Otorhinolaryngolo- have inter ictal headache of >3 months duration antecedent gist and dentist opinion were sought whenever necessary. to or after the onset of seizures and Patients with epilepsy Patients who had headaches along with the onset of seizures who have peri ictal headache and continued throughout the ictus which resolves with Vol 3 | Issue 4 | October-December | 2016 4 | October-December 3 | Issue Vol EXCLUSION CRITERIA : Patients with epilepsy subsidence of seizure activity were classified as ictal head- who developed sudden onset severe headache, headache aches or hemicrania epileptica. Peri ictal headaches were with systemic signs such as fever, neck stiffness, cutaneous subdivided into postictal headache and pre ictal headache rash, headache with papilloedema, headache triggered by based on their relationship with seizures. Patients who have cough, exertion or valsalva maneuver were excluded from headache just preceding the onset of seizures were classi- the study. Patients with epilepsy who have either interictal fied as preictal headache. Patients who had headaches with or perictal headaches who did not have any features of ex- varying characteristics and severity which develops within clusion criteria were selected for the study. 3 hours of seizure and lasts for less than 72 hours are clas- DEFINITIONS AND CLASSIFICATIONS sified as postictal headaches. Patients who initially had sei- Headache were classified according to interna- zures and in whom seizures got controlled with drugs with tional headache society classification (IHS-2)8 and their new onset headache or persistence of precedent headache duration noted in the study. The International classification which are of short duration lasting for 5-10 minutes, severe of Headache disorders, 2nd edition, groups headache disor- in intensity stabbing or bounding in nature associated with ders into primary and secondary headaches. The four cate- transient unawareness or incontinence were classified as gories of primary headaches include migraine, Tension Type headache not classified elsewhere. Primary headaches were Headache (TTH), Cluster Headache (CH) other Trigeminal further analysed based on the frequency and duration of Autonomic Cephalalgias (TAC’s) and other primary head- headache episodes. On the basis of frequency they were sub- aches. There are also eight categories of secondary headache divided into low to moderate frequency headaches. On the and a third group that includes central and primary causes basis of duration they were subdivided into shorter duration of facial pain and other headaches. The criteria for primary or longer duration headaches. Headaches were classified ac- headaches are clinical and descriptive with a few exceptions cording to the predominant headache type if the patient had not based on etiology. multiple headache types. The classification is hierarchical, allowing diagno- sis with varying degrees of specificity, using up to four digits RESULTS AND ANALYSIS for coding at subordinate levels. The first digit specifies the The total number of patients studied were 124.Out of major diagnostic type e.g. migraine (1). The second digit this, the age of patients ranged from 9 to 54 years. The age indicates a subtype within the category, e.g., migraine with range and sex distribution of patients within each age range aura (1.2) subsequent digits permit more specific diagnosis is shown in Table No.1. Males comprised 33% (n=42) and for some subtypes of headache according to circumstantial females 66% (n= 82)of the total study population. requirements, FHM for example could be coded as 1.2.4. SEIZURE TYPES: The most common type of seizures In clinical practice patients should receive a diagnosis for seen were generalised tonic clonic seizures. 42% of patients each headache type or subtype they currently have. Multiple (n=52) had primary generalised tonic- clonic