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Zakaria Ammache, MD; Mark Graber, MD; Patricia Davis, MD

Arch Neurol. 2000;57:745-746.

Background  Idiopathic stabbing headache, which is a brief, sharp, severe jabbing pain that is confined to the head, responds well to treatment with indomethacin sodium. It may occur as a primary entity but more likely is associated with other types of headache, including migraine.

Setting  Emergency department of a teaching hospital.

Patient  A 27-year-old man presented to the emergency department with stabbing, sharp pain in the right temporal area associated with complete of loss vision in his right eye. The patient had a history of migraine with aura since 1995.

Result  The patient was treated with oxygen inhalation and indomethacin, with complete resolution of his symptoms.

Conclusion  A case of idiopathic stabbing headache associated with monocular visual loss was relieved by oxygen and indomethacin therapy.

From the Department of Neurology, Division of Cerebrovascular Diseases (Drs Ammache and Davis), and the Department of Surgery, Division of Emergency Medicine and Family Medicine (Dr Graber), University of Iowa, Iowa City.

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