Quiz Form

Question Date: 15/09/2023

Question: A 55 year old hypertensive male presented with sudden excruciating headache which peaked in a minute. It was associated with vomiting. Which of these is unlikely to be the cause of his headache

Options:

• Cerebral venous angioma
• Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome
• Spontaneous intracranial hypotension
• Acute hypertensive crisis

Correct Answer: Cerebral venous angioma

Explaination: Developmental venous anomaly also called as venous angioma is a benign condition and doesnt cause headache or intracranial hemorrhage. Thunderclap headache is a sign of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage or an unruptured aneurysm (sentinel hemorrhage). Other causes of thunder clap headache include arterial dissection, cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, pituitary apoplexy and hypertensive crisis. Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome and colloid cyst of third ventricle may cause recurrent thunderclap headache. Spontaneous intracranial hypotension may also cause thunderclap headache and nocturnal headache rarely

Reference: Dodick DW. Thunderclap Headache. JNNP 2002 72(1)6-11