Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome: An Important Cause of Acute Severe Headache

Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is an increasingly recognized and important cause of acute headache. The majority of these patients develop potentially serious neurological complications. Rigorous investigation is required to exclude other significant differential diagnoses. Dif...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Li Huey Tan, Oliver Flower
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2012-01-01
Series:Emergency Medicine International
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/303152
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1849304646675333120
author Li Huey Tan
Oliver Flower
author_facet Li Huey Tan
Oliver Flower
author_sort Li Huey Tan
collection DOAJ
description Reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is an increasingly recognized and important cause of acute headache. The majority of these patients develop potentially serious neurological complications. Rigorous investigation is required to exclude other significant differential diagnoses. Differentiating RCVS from subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) and primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS) may be difficult but has important therapeutic implications. This paper describes what is currently known about the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical, and diagnostic features of the syndrome, an approach to investigation, a summary of treatments, and what is known of prognosis.
format Article
id doaj-art-41989aa353cc449899baeb1cbfa02fae
institution Kabale University
issn 2090-2840
2090-2859
language English
publishDate 2012-01-01
publisher Wiley
record_format Article
series Emergency Medicine International
spelling doaj-art-41989aa353cc449899baeb1cbfa02fae2025-08-20T03:55:40ZengWileyEmergency Medicine International2090-28402090-28592012-01-01201210.1155/2012/303152303152Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome: An Important Cause of Acute Severe HeadacheLi Huey Tan0Oliver Flower1Intensive Care Medicine, Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, AustraliaIntensive Care Medicine, Royal North Shore Hospital, St. Leonards, NSW 2065, AustraliaReversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) is an increasingly recognized and important cause of acute headache. The majority of these patients develop potentially serious neurological complications. Rigorous investigation is required to exclude other significant differential diagnoses. Differentiating RCVS from subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) and primary angiitis of the central nervous system (PACNS) may be difficult but has important therapeutic implications. This paper describes what is currently known about the epidemiology, pathophysiology, clinical, and diagnostic features of the syndrome, an approach to investigation, a summary of treatments, and what is known of prognosis.http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/303152
spellingShingle Li Huey Tan
Oliver Flower
Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome: An Important Cause of Acute Severe Headache
Emergency Medicine International
title Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome: An Important Cause of Acute Severe Headache
title_full Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome: An Important Cause of Acute Severe Headache
title_fullStr Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome: An Important Cause of Acute Severe Headache
title_full_unstemmed Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome: An Important Cause of Acute Severe Headache
title_short Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome: An Important Cause of Acute Severe Headache
title_sort reversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome an important cause of acute severe headache
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2012/303152
work_keys_str_mv AT lihueytan reversiblecerebralvasoconstrictionsyndromeanimportantcauseofacutesevereheadache
AT oliverflower reversiblecerebralvasoconstrictionsyndromeanimportantcauseofacutesevereheadache