Summary
Cluster headache is a form of unilateral headache which, in the past, has been very resistant to treatment. Lithium carbonate has been shown to be the only reliably effective treatment in this condition and, although only a few cases have so far been reported in the literature they have, with very few exceptions, been successful. Therefore we selected five patients who at one time or another had presented with cluster headache and who had no relief from conventional treatment, and treated them with lithium carbonate. This has been highly successful. Some patients who had suffered from the disease for many years have been completely or almost completely relieved of their affliction, while others have been markedly improved to the point where they can now function normally, both socially and professionally. The possible modes of action of lithium in this condition are discussed.
Résumé
L’algie vasculaire de la face ou céphalée de Horton est une affection unilatérale qui était dans le passé rebelle à toute approche thérapeutique. Il a été démontré que le carbonate de lithium est le seul traitement efficace de cette affection, et bien que la littérature ne mentionne que peu de cas, ce traitement a été efficace à peu d’exceptions près. Nous avons choisi cinq malades souffrant de cette maladie depuis plusierus années et les avons traité au carbonate de lithium avec grand succès. Chez quelques uns la guérison a été complète ou presque complète alors que chez les autres l’amélioration a été suffisante pour un retour à une vie sociale et professionelle normale. Les auteurs discutent du mécanisme possible d’action du lithium dans cette maladie.
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Wyant, G.M., Ashenhurst, E.M. Chronic pain syndromes and their treatment 1. Cluster headache. Canad. Anaesth. Soc. J. 26, 38–41 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03039452
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03039452