Headaches in optometric practice part 6: Cavernous cavernoma

We have so far in this series gone through various headaches including migraines, cluster headaches and trigeminal neuralgia. I have also talked about subarachnoid haemorrhages and the headaches patients experience subsequent to such lesions. This article will discuss a very different form of headache resulting from a very rare condition – a cerebral haemangioma or cavernoma. It is always interesting to listen to the patient’s symptoms and this should give one an indication as to whether the headaches are serious and needs immediate referral.

CASE 1

A 55-year-old female patient booked an urgent appointment having experienced pressure pain behind the left eye for the past two weeks. She was also finding that her eyes hurt on looking up and reported headaches at the back of the head. Further symptoms included a tingling sensation on top of the head.