Abstract
Objective: We aimed to investigate the differences in incidence of nasal anatomic abnormalities between the patients with and without headache and the outcome of surgical treatment for the headache patients with mucosal contact point.
Background: “Mucosal contact point headache” has been defined by Headache Classification Committee of the International Headache Society. Whether the type of nasal anatomic abnormalities associates with incidence of headache and whether surgical treatment is necessary remain undefined.
Study Design: Observational study.
Methods: We recruited 107 subjects without headache and 78 subjects with refractory headache for more than 2 years. Subjects underwent high-resolution sinus CT scans and the incidence of nasal anatomic abnormalities was calculated in both groups and results were compared. An additional 25 patients underwent surgical treatment.
Results: Mucosal contact points were observed in 85.9% of patients with refractory headache and also in 80.4% of subjects without headache. The most common mucosal contact point among headache group patients was between deviated nasal septum and lateral nasal wall (55.1%) and the incidence of this type of contact point was significantly different between groups (P <0.05). An additional 25 headache patients with mucosal contact point were corrected via endoscopic surgery. Average pain scale scores decreased significantly between pre- and post-operative measurements (P<0.001). Only 44% of patients had recovered from headache 7 days postoperatively.
Conclusion: Some patients with recurrent headache and mucosal contact point may not meet the diagnostic criteria of mucosal contact point headache since pain was not resolved within 7 days after surgical treatment.
Citation
Wang MSJ, Yin MSJ and Peng BSH. Diagnosis and Surgical Treatment of Mucosal Contact Point Headache: Mucosal Contact Point Headache May Not be Accurately Diagnosed before Surgery. SM Otolaryngol. 2017; 1(1): 1003.