[Cervicogenic headache: report of a case]

It has been known for many years that headaches can originate from abnormalities in the neck. However, their clinical pictures were never sufficiently systematized, at least not in order to permit the research on their pathogenesis. Sjaastad et al. described in 1983 a group of patients with a very uniform and stereotyped headache. Attacks of mild, longlasting, unilateral head pain without sideshift, occurred every few weeks. The headache could be provoked by neck movements, such as extension, rotation or lateral flexion, as well as by external pressure towards trigger points in the neck. It usually started back in the neck, eventually spreading to the ipsilateral orbito-frontal-temporal or facial areas. The denomination "cervicogenic headache" (CH) was proposed. Its pathophysiology is presently unknown. The C2 and occipital nerve blockages eliminate the pain. We present a CH case and make some comments on its clinical picture, pathophysiology, and treatment.