A case of parasellar meningioma mimicking cluster headache

A medical history of a 46-year-old male is reported. At 23 years of age, he started having diffuse pain in the left side of his head for up to 30 min once or twice a month. At 28, the pain changed into left-sided cluster headache-like attacks with 2-3 h duration and with ipsilateral conjunctival injection, lacrimation, and rhinnorhea, but with short-lasting free intervals of about two to three weeks. At 36, the pattern of the attacks corresponded to chronic migrainous neuralgia. At 40, the symptoms changed to painful ophthalmoplegia-picture. A left-sided parasellar meningioma was then diagnosed. Removal of the tumor caused complete amelioration. The case history is suggested to support the hypothesis that the cavernous sinus region is involved in cluster headache.