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Headaches
associated with vascular disorders in the IHS Classification is category
6.0 (Table 1). Sudden, severe, "blinding", excruciating
headache, with stiff neck, vomiting, and altered mental status, is the
classic presentation for ruptured berry aneurysm. Subarachnoid blood is
usually found on lumbar puncture, if it is performed, and the majority
of CT scans reveal evidence of blood. Focal neurologic deficits may
occur following rupture of berry aneurysms, such as the third nerve
palsy that often follows rupture of a posterior communicating artery
aneurysm or hemiparesis following middle cerebral artery aneurysm
rupture. The syndrome of "occipital apoplexy": sudden
headache, stiff neck and a homonymous field defect is almost
pathognomonic for a ruptured occipital lobe AVM.6 Any patient, with
sudden severe headache, with or without stiff neck or focal neurologic
signs must be evaluated with the possibility of ruptured or unruptured
vascular anomaly such as aneurysm or AVM. The other neuro-ophthalmologic
signs and symptoms of aneurysms, AVMs, and related vascular anomalies
are detailed in another chapter. Unruptured aneurysms and AVMs may also produce headache. When the headache pattern is completely stereotyped throughout life, strong suspicion should be raised as to the possibility of an arteriovenous malformation rather than migraine with aura.50 Sentinel headaches are reported to occur in about 50 percent of patients days to weeks preceding subarachnoid hemorrhage from berry aneurysm.{47} About half such headaches are reported to be abrupt in onset and severe and have been believed to be due to an initial leak due to partial rupture. Such patients should probably be evaluated with arteriography even if the cerebrospinal fluid does not disclose blood as Day and Raskin{202} have documented that thunderclap headache episodes may occur as symptoms of an unruptured aneurysm. |