A patient, 40 years old, has been enduring right-sided hemicranial headaches for the past fifteen years. The headaches consistently occur on the right side of the head and occasionally entail visual symptoms. Which of the following possibilities is likely?
A) Migraine
B) Tension headaches
C) Cluster headaches
D) Intracranial vascular malformation
E) Brain tumor
Answer:
A. Migraine
Explanation:
The most likely diagnosis for a 40-year-old patient, who has been suffering from right-sided hemicranial headaches for the past fifteen years, with occasional visual symptoms, is A) Migraine. Migraines frequently result in unilateral headaches and can cause visual disturbances known as “auras.”
B) Tension headaches are less likely because they generally result in bilateral discomfort and lack the visual element described.
C) Cluster headaches are characterized by severe, unilateral pain, but they usually involve shorter episodes with distinct periods of remission. This contrasts with the patient’s extended history.
D) Intracranial vascular malformations and E) Brain tumors can both lead to chronic headaches, but these options are less likely, given the consistent unilateral location and the presence of visual symptoms, which align more with migraine.