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Sumatriptan can alleviate headaches due to carotid artery dissection
Journal article   Open access   Peer reviewed

Sumatriptan can alleviate headaches due to carotid artery dissection

Enrique C LEIRA, Salvador CRUZ-FLORES, Rodney O LEACOCK and Saleem I ABDULRAUF
Headache, Vol.41(6), pp.590-591
2001
DOI: 10.1046/j.1526-4610.2001.041006590.x
PMID: 11437896
url
https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1526-4610.2001.041006590.xView
Published (Version of record) Open Access

Abstract

Cluster headaches can be mimicked by a spontaneous carotid artery dissection. We report a 45-year-old man with a spontaneous carotid artery dissection whose unilateral headache responded to sumatriptan. An oral dose of 50 mg of sumatriptan relieved 90% of the pain after 2 hours. A second dose the next day achieved similar results within 4 hours. The diagnosis of dissection was made later by magnetic resonance angiogram and conventional angiography. This case illustrates that a positive response to a triptan can not be used to distinguish the first attack of cluster headache from a carotid artery dissection.
Cardiovascular System Biological and medical sciences Medical sciences Vasodilator agents. Cerebral vasodilators Pharmacology. Drug treatments

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