Trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia after common eye surgery: Case series and literature review

Secondary cases of trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia have been described, most commonly following tumor, trauma, or vascular causes.

We report a series of 6 patients who experienced ipsilateral headache responding to the International Headache Society criteria for cluster headache, hemicrania continua or probable hemicrania continua. It occurred immediately or in the following days or weeks after cataract or glaucoma surgery. We complete these descriptions with 4 cases from a literature review of trigeminal autonomic cephalalgia attributed to non-destructive eye surgery.

We report the largest series of patients who developed TAC after ocular surgery, supplemented by 4 cases from the literature. For many of these patients, TAC treatments can be effective either as a preventive or as an attack.