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BMJ Case Reports 2009; doi:10.1136/bcr.08.2008.0700
  • Rare disease

Heat stress disorders and headache: a case of new daily persistent headache secondary to heat stroke

  1. C Di Lorenzo1,2,
  2. A Ambrosini1,
  3. G Coppola2,3,
  4. F Pierelli1,2
  1. 1
    Headache Clinic, IRCCS INM Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy
  2. 2
    University Centre for Adaptive Disorders and Headache (UCADH), and Department of Neurology and ORL, and University Centre for Adaptive Disorders and Headache (UCADH), University of Rome “La Sapienza”, Polo Pontino, Latina, Italy
  3. 3
    GB Bietti Eye Foundation-IRCCS, Department of Neurophysiology of Vision and Neurophthalmology, Rome, Italy
  1. cherub{at}inwind.it
  • Published 2 February 2009

Summary

Headache is considered as a common symptom of heat stress disorders (HSD), but no forms of secondary headache from heat exposure are reported in the International Classification of Headache Disorders-2 Edition (ICHD-II). Heat-stroke (HS) is the HSD most severe condition, it may be divided into two forms: classic (due to a long period environmental heat exposure) and exertional (a severe condition caused by strenuous physical exercises in heat environmental conditions). Here we report the case of a patient who developed a headache clinical picture fulfilling the diagnostic criteria for new daily persistent headache (NDPH), after an exertional HS, and discuss about possible pathophysiological mechanisms and classification aspects of headache induced by heat conditions.

Footnotes

  • Competing interests: None.

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