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Cluster headache attacks in a woman previously struck by lightning: pathophysiology of the latent period
Marcelo Moraes Valença1, Wilson Farias da Silva, Luciana Patrízia A Andrade-Valença
1Division of Neurology and Neurosurgery, Department of Neuropsychiatry, CCS, University of Pernambuco, Recife, PE, Brazil.
Background:
Cases of patients who developed cluster headache-like symptoms after different putative causes have been reported, indicating a direct relationship between brain lesion and this particular type of headache. Long term, delayed, neurological sequelae after lightning have also been described.
Case Report:
We describe the case of a woman who, at the age of 10, was struck by lightning. Six years later she developed cluster headache-like attacks.
Conclusion:
We hypothesize that a relationship between the lightning and the cluster headache-like episodes observed in our patient. This case study may have helped throw some light into the still unknown pathophysiology of this particular type of primary headache.
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