Chronic paroxysmal hemicrania (CPH) and hemicrania continua: transition from one stage to another

Two female patients, one suffering from CPH in non-remitting form, and the other from hemicrania continua, in the pre-chronic (non-continuous) stage are described. Both were followed through transitions to other stages: the CPH patient was followed from the non-remitting stage to a longlasting remission, and lastly back to another chronic stage. Indomethacin was effective in all the symptomatic stages. The hemicrania continua patient was followed from the non-continuous to the continuous stage. Indomethacin was effective in both stages. These observations provide further evidence that the non-chronic and chronic ("remitting" and "non-remitting") stages of CPH belong together. The same seems to apply to the two stages of hemicrania continua, the "continuous" and the "non-continuous" stages.