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26 Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy and Subcortical Infarcts…
the current categorization of CADASIL-related headaches within the framework of vascular disorders may inadequately capture the genetic mechanisms contributing to these headaches. Sacco etal. advocate for a more nuanced understanding of the etiology of these headaches, emphasizing the intersection of genetic factors and headache pathology. This perspective lays the groundwork for a comprehensive exploration of headache manifestations in CADASIL, which this chapter will fur­ther elaborate on [1, 9].
253

26.7 Management

Management of CADASIL-related headaches focuses on symptomatic relief and preventing stroke. The treatment regimen may include:
• Migraine Prophylaxis: Migraine prophylaxis in CADASIL patients typically
includes medications such as beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, and anti-
epileptics, which may help reduce migraine frequency. Recent studies, including
detailed case studies, highlight the debilitating nature of migraines in CADASIL,
primarily due to vascular dysfunction linked to NOTCH3 mutations. This
research underscores the refractory nature of traditional migraine treatments in
these patients. It introduces calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) receptor
antagonists as a promising novel therapeutic approach, supported by emerging
literature, for potentially improving headache management in CADASIL
[10, 11].
• Antiplatelet Therapy: Aspirin is commonly used to prevent ischemic events.
• Supportive Care: Physiotherapy, speech therapy, and occupational therapy are
essential in managing progressive neurological decits.
• Genetic Counselling: Given the hereditary nature of CADASIL, counselling for
family members is crucial [10, 12, 13].

26.8 Conclusion

Headaches in CADASIL represent a signicant early symptom of the disease and may precede other neurological manifestations by many years. Early recognition and management are key to improving outcomes and preventing further complica­tions. This chapter has provided an overview of the pathophysiology, case presenta­tion, diagnostic approach, and management strategies for headaches associated with CADASIL, emphasizing the importance of a multidisciplinary approach in caring for these patients. The insights from recent literature underscore the complexity of managing CADASIL-related headaches and highlight the need for tailored thera­peutic approaches that consider both the neurological and vascular challenges inherent to this condition.
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U. Topbaş et al.

References

1. Sacco S, Degan D, Carolei A.Diagnostic criteria for CADASIL in the international classication of headache disorders (ICHD-II): are they appropriate? J Headache Pain. 2010;11(3):181–6.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10194- 010- 0203- 6. Epub 2010 Mar 12. PMID: 20224942; PMCID:
PMC3451909
2. Gosalia H, Karsan N, Goadsby P.Genetic mechanisms of migraine: insights from monogenic migraine mutations. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(16):12697. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms241612697.
3. Su Y, Tay VQ, Singh S, Leary MC, Koss V, Kincaid HM, Yacoub HA, Castaldo J.A retro­spective review of sex differences of white matter hyperintensities in brain MRI of patients with migraine. Headache. 2024;64(6):612–23. https://doi.org/10.1111/head.14714. Epub 2024 May 24. PMID: 38785411.
4. Liem MK, Oberstein SA, van der Grond J, Ferrari MD, Haan J.CADASIL and migraine: a nar­rative review. Cephalalgia. 2010;30(11):1284–9. https://doi.org/10.1177/0333102410370870. PMID: 21038489.
5. Guey S, Mawet J, Hervé D, Duering M, Godin O, Jouvent E, Opherk C, Alili N, Dichgans M, Chabriat H. Prevalence and characteristics of migraine in CADASIL. Cephalalgia. 2016;36(11):1038–47. https://doi.org/10.1177/0333102415620909. Epub 2016 Jul 11. PMID:
26646784.
6. Sacco S, Rasura M, Cao M, Bozzao A, Carolei A.CADASIL presenting as status migraineurs and persisting aura without infarction. J Headache Pain. 2009;10(1):51–3. https://doi.org/10.1007/
s10194- 008- 0079- x. Epub 2008 Oct 25. PMID: 18953486; PMCID: PMC3451763.
7. Gosalia H, Karsan N, Goadsby PJ.Genetic mechanisms of migraine: insights from mono­genic migraine mutations. Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24(16):12697. https://doi.org/10.3390/
ijms241612697. PMID: 37628876; PMCID: PMC10454024.
8. Ferrante E, Trimboli M, Erminio C, Martino I, Tiraboschi P.Acute confusional migraine in CADASIL: a case report and literature review. Clin Neurol Neurosurg. 2022;216:107239.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clineuro.2022.107239. Epub 2022 Apr 6. PMID: 35413636.
9. The International Classication of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition. Cephalalgia. 2018;38(1):1–211. Jes Olesen ISSN: 0333-1024.
10. Donnini I, Nannucci S, Valenti R, Pescini F, Bianchi S, Inzitari D, Pantoni L.Acetazolamide for the prophylaxis of migraine in CADASIL: a preliminary experience. J Headache Pain. 2012;13(4):299–302. 22367627; PMCID: PMC3356473.
11. Goldstein ED, Badi MK, Meschia JF.Treating chronic migraine in CADASIL with calcito­nin gene-related peptide receptor antagonism. Neurol Clin Pract. 2019;9(3):277–8. https://doi.
org/10.1212/CPJ.0000000000000651. PMID: 31341718; PMCID: PMC6615658.
12. Gravesteijn G, Dauwerse JG, Overzier M, Brouwer G, Hegeman I, Mulder AA, Baas F, Kruit MC, Terwindt GM, van Duinen SG, Jost CR, Aartsma-Rus A, Lesnik Oberstein SAJ, Rutten JW.Naturally occurring NOTCH3 exon skipping attenuates NOTCH3 protein aggregation and disease severity in CADASIL patients. Hum Mol Genet. 2020;29(11):1853–63. https://doi.
org/10.1093/hmg/ddz285. PMID: 31960911; PMCID: PMC7372551.
13. Yamamoto Y, Liao YC, Lee YC, Ihara M, Choi JC.Update on the epidemiology, pathogenesis, and biomarkers of cerebral autosomal dominant Arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leu­koencephalopathy. J Clin Neurol. 2023;19(1):12–27. https://doi.org/10.3988/jcn.2023.19.1.12. PMID: 36606642; PMCID: PMC9833879.
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10194- 012- 0426- 9. Epub 2012 Feb 25. PMID:
Chapter 27
Headache Attributed toMitochondrial Encephalopathy, Lactic Acidosis, andStroke-Like Episodes (MELAS)
NanaNinoTatishvili , TeonaShatirishvili , andSoaTatishvili

27.1 Introduction

Mitochondria are dynamic subcellular organelles with innumerable functions, including energy generation via oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS), calcium homeostasis, and regulation of apoptotic cell death, placing them at the center of cellular metabolism and signalling [1].
Mitochondrial diseases are caused by either a mutation in the nuclear DNA
(nDNA) or mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA).
Among the systems most affected by this group of diseases, the nervous system stands out, primarily due to its high dependence on aerobic metabolism. Due to this, sleep disorders, headache, and epilepsy are common in mitochondrial disorders (MDs). These symptoms can be one of the cardinal symptoms that dene some of the subtypes of these diseases, such as headache in mitochondrial encephalomyopa­thy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) [2].
MDs occur in a large section of the lifespan (from the neonatal period to late adult­hood), with an incidence of about 1.6/5000. In the pediatric population, the incidence ranges from 0.5 to 1.5 per 100,000. In the majority of cases, onset occurs in infancy or early childhood and is associated with high morbidity and mortality [3, 4].
The most common neurological symptoms present in the majority of children with mitochondrial disorder (MD) are muscle weakness, peripheral neuropathy, ophthalmoplegia, movement disorder, epilepsy, and headache, so the neuropediatri­cian must be one of the key physicians involved in the diagnosis and management of childhood-onset MDs [5].
N. N. Tatishvili (*) · T. Shatirishvili · S. Tatishvili David Tvildiani Medical University, Tbilisi, Georgia
Switzerland AG 2026 D. Uludüz et al. (eds.), Rare Causes of Headache Disorders, Headache,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-10242-3_27
255© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature
256
N. N. Tatishvili et al.

27.2 Case Presentations

We had two patients with MD and headaches. Headache was not the dominant fea­ture of an MD, but only an ancillary feature of the phenotype in both. The headache was not very severe, but was admitted by both, mostly between acute progressing episodes, during the stable period.
Case 27.1 Male, 5years old, early development was normal.
At the age 5, he lost consciousness and presented with right-sided hemiparesis. At that point, a cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed normal ndings. A second episode occurred at 7years of age: during a respiratory infection compli­cated with pneumonia, he transiently lost consciousness and vision. It was evaluated as an epileptic seizure, he was treated with carbamazepine, and his electroencepha­lography (EEG) was normal. An MRI showed non-specic changes of the bilateral occipital white matter. After this, he had periods of headache without any other signs; he could not describe the type of headache, it was of moderate severity, and sometimes nonsteroidal anti-inammatory drugs (NSAIDs) were needed. His third episode occurred at the age of 10years. Again, after an unspecic illness, focal convulsive status epilepticus (epilepsia partialis continua) occurred with deviation of head and eyes to the right and twitching of the right side of the face, accompanied by left-sided focal spike and slow-wave activity. All blood tests, including liver enzymes, were normal. The MRI was unchanged.
The patient was treated with i/v antiseizure medication (ASM) in the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Status epilepticus was not controlled. Then thiopentone anaesthesia was used. He was alert and responsive for 3days. However, acute severe deterioration occurred, and the boy died within 10h due to recurrent status epilep­ticus, acidosis, anuria, and respiratory failure.
Genetic analysis revealed that our patient and sibling had MD Alpers- and mito­chondrial neurogastointestinal encephalomyopathy (MNGIE)-like disease with dis­turbed cerebrospinal uid (CSF) folate transport and an unusual mode of genetic transmission of POLG mutations. In the blood DNA of our patient and his sibling, two heterozygous variants were detected, while multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplication (MLPA) analysis was normal. One of these NM_002693.2: c.680G>A p.(Arg227Gln) is a missense variant that has recently been described in three infants with mitochondrial depletion syndrome (MDS) and Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome (AHS) [68] This variant was also present in blood DNA of the deceased brother but not in the parents and the healthy brother. A buccal swab, saliva, and hair bulbs of the father were also negative for this mutation. Paternal blood DNA was addition­ally tested by deep targeted next- generation sequencing (coverage >2500) for this POLG variant and was negative [6].
Case 27.2 A 9-year-old male patient developed bilateral sensorineural hearing loss followed by a generalized tonic–clonic seizure. From this period, he had monthly headaches without other signs, usually of moderate severity, and rare NSAIDs were
27 Headache Attributed to Mitochondrial Encephalopathy, Lactic Acidosis…
257
ab c
Fig. 27.1 Brain MRI: Stroke-like episode (SLE) (A-C) demonstrating hyperintensities in the left occipital and parietal lobes, extending into white matter—a suspected area of cortical and subcorti­cal ischemia not respecting the borders of large and medium-sized arterial territories. (T.Shatirishvili etal. [6])
used. From age 15, he exhibited progressive fatigue, muscle weakness, and stroke­like episodes.
MRI revealed stroke-like lesions in the brain (Fig.27.1). Over 2years, he expe­rienced multiple hospital admissions for severe symptoms including right-sided hemiparesis, hemianopia, seizures, and encephalopathy, periodically with non­migraineous headaches. Despite treatment, his condition deteriorated, leading to multi-organ failure and death at the age 16years. Molecular genetic analysis identi­ed a heteroplasmic m.3764C>G variant in MT-ND1.
The case was evaluated as MELAS with a new mutation [9].

27.3 Clinical Characteristics

Headache is a common feature of MD and can manifest as a migraine-like head­ache, cluster headache, non-classied headache, or tension headache. Headache may be the dominant feature of a MD or only an ancillary feature of the pheno­type [10].
Due to the absence of a structured diagnostic headache tool, specic question­naires, interviews, and objective clinical examination, the prevalence of headache/ migraine in MDs patients uctuates noticeably in the scientic literature [2].
Migraine may also be part of the clinical presentation of a stroke-like episode (SLE). Regarding headache, it is still unclear whether headache is a primary disor­der associated with MDs or a secondary migraine-like headache caused by mito­chondrial disease. In the study population, 71% (43/61) indicated headache, and 29% (18/61) reported not suffering any headache [11].
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The pathophysiology of migraine-like headache is poorly understood. Still, there are indications that it is a vascular pathology, resulting in initial hyperperfusion, which results from activation of the calcitonin-related protein or enhanced inux of calcium into mitochondria, resulting in increased oxidative stress [10].
A SLE, which can have an acute or subacute neurological manifestation, typi­cally affects young individuals and is caused by focal brain dysfunction of an epi­leptic nature.
MD-associated migraine tends to be chronic and more disabling than in the gen­eral population. Non-classied headache has been reported in patients carrying POLG1 mutations [10]. A higher frequency of headache, other than migraine, has also been observed in patients with MELAS syndrome, suggesting the presence of a characteristic headache subtype in these patients. In this way, mitochondrial dys­function could be one of the pathophysiological mechanisms of headache migrain­ous or non-migrainous and constitute a factor of chronication and severity in this entity [2].

27.4 Discussion

Mitochondria play a central role in a variety of cellular functions, including energy generation, production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), control of Ca2+ homeo­stasis, and regulation of apoptosis [7].
Mitochondrial diseases are caused by either mutation in the nuclear DNA(nDNA) or mitochondrial DNA(mtDNA). The mtDNA encodes only for approximately 1% of all estimated 1500 (nuclear and mtDN encoded) proteins needed for normal structure and function of mitochondria [7, 8]. Pathogenic variants in mtDNA include single-nucleotide variants as well as single large-scale deletions/rearrangements. The integrity of mtDNA can also be affected by multiple deletions arising in the context of primary defects in one of over 30 nuclear genes that control mtDNA maintenance. This can also result in reduced mtDNA content (mtDNA depletion). According to O.Heath, R.G.Feichtinger etal. (2025), pathogenic variants in the nuclear gene POLG account for the most prevalent mtDNA maintenance defect in childhood [12].
Mitochondrial diseases presenting in childhood are characterized by clinical, biochemical, and genetic complexity. Some children are affected by well-described syndromes, and many have nonclassical multisystemic disease presentations involv­ing any organ in the body. Each child has a unique combination of clinical features and disease trajectory, leading to enormous challenges in the diagnosis and manage­ment of these heterogeneous disorders [2].
Fifty-ve percent of all participants reported a headache. Forty-eight percent of women and 31% of all men in the population reported headache as one of the ve most essential complaints due to their mitochondrial disease [10].
Despite many publications about the high frequency of headache in MD, it is still unclear whether headache is a primary disorder associated with or coincidental to
27 Headache Attributed to Mitochondrial Encephalopathy, Lactic Acidosis…
259
MDs, mainly manifested as migraine, or a secondary migraine-like headache caused by mitochondrial disease.
The current edition of the International Classication of Headache Disorders (ICHD-3 beta) only includes headache in MELAS among headache attributed to genetic vasculopathy, without other references to headache in the context of MDs [13].
About 80% of the MD cases are associated with the pathogenic m.3243A>G mutation in the MT-TL1 gene, the rst genetic defect linked to MELAS syndrome. However, other rare mtDNA mutations and recessive POLG1 mutations are well­recognized causes of SLEs [5].
POLG1 patients have an explosive onset and a rapid progression, with a higher risk of death due to status epilepticus [14], as was the case in our case 27.1. The patient developed suprarefractory status epilepticus, which led to the patient’s death. Patients with the 3243A>G mutation usually show a protracted disease course with an insidious onset and mainly die from complications not related to central nervous system (CNS). Moreover, around half of POLG1 patients have no other symptoms outside of CNS features before the rst SLE.The patient in case 27.1 also had purely CNS signs.
A. H. San Martin, C. D. Gonzalez et al. (2023) performed a cross-sectional cohort study. Of the 203 patients interviewed, 92 (45.3%) reported suffering regu­larly from headache of any type (at least one headache day per month), the preva­lence being more frequent in women than in men (53.2 vs. 32.9%, respectively). Within the group of 92 patients with headaches, migraine prevalence was 35%, which is higher compared to the general population. Sixteen (69.6%) of these patients met the criteria of migraine, while the remaining seven had non-migraine­type headaches. Patients with migraine had a median of 10 headache days per month, while patients with non-migraine headaches, like our case 27.2 patient, had a median of 3 headache days per month. Both our patients had non-migrainous headaches, frequency was not high, and severity was moderate [2].
Patients with the pathogenic variant m.8344 A>G in the MTTK gene were those with the highest prevalence of headache. A total of 39 patients with the m.3243 A>G mutation in the MTTL1 gene (58.2%) presented headache, with 69% of cases fullling migraine criteria [2]. This prevalence was reported to be independent of sex, phenotype, or genotype, which, together with dysfunction of mitochondrial metabolism in migraine observed in several studies, supports the hypothesis that mitochondrial dysfunction could play an important role in the pathophysiology of migraine. Moreover, there is emerging evidence that monoclonal antibodies acting on calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) (CGRP-mAbs), widely used in the treat­ment of patients with migraine, are also safe and effective in the treatment of refrac­tory headaches associated with mitochondrial diseases. This data also supports the theory about common pathophysiological pathways between MDs and migraine.
Based on the phenotype of the patients with MD, a statistically signicant rela­tionship was found between the MELAS syndrome and the presence of headache, in contrast with other phenotypes, with a p-value of less than 0.01 [2].
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The exciting fact is that in MD patients with epilepsy, myoclonus, and SLEs are more frequent in patients with headache/migraine compared to patients without it. In both of our cases, there was a combination of epilepsy (in one, myoclonus) and headache. The nding of a higher prevalence of epilepsy in the population of mito­chondrial migraineurs (33.33%; 11/33) compared with non-migraineurs (11.66%; 7/60) presumably means that the association between migraine and epilepsy is not fortuitous in these patients, but could underlie common pathophysiological mecha­nisms [15].
It is essential to mention that the pharmacological management of MDs patients with headache/migraine could be particularly challenging, probably due to poor tolerance to drugs commonly used for headaches.
We can admit that mitochondrial dysfunction could be one of the pathophysio­logical mechanisms of headache/migraine, mainly through the production of ROS, apoptosis, Ca2þ homeostasis, and global increased neuronal excitability, and it can also constitute one of the mechanisms of chronication and severity of migraine.

27.5 Conclusion

Headache/migraine has a higher prevalence in MDs compared with general population- based data, independently of genotype or phenotype. Headache is not merely a phenotypic aspect of specic MDs. Still, it is rather the expression of vul­nerability of the central nervous system, probably directly related to defects of the respiratory chain.
A headache can be a cardinal sign of clinical presentation, as well as an ancillary feature. It can be migrainous as well as non-migrainous or unclassied, as in our cases. New data is needed for a better understanding of pathophysiologic mecha­nisms and the relationship between MD and headache in mitochondrial disorders, especially in MELAS and SLE.

References

1. Rahman S.Mitochondrial disease in children. J Intern Med. 2020;287:609–33. https://doi.
org/10.1111/joim.13054.
2. San Martin AH, Gonzalez CD, Conejo MM, Hernandez Salas ME, Gallego JH.Headache and sleep quality in mitochondrial diseases. Cephalalgia Rep. 2023;6:1–7.
3. Tolomeo D, Orsucci D, Nesti C, Baldacci J, Battini R, Bruno C, Bruno G, Cassandrini D, Doccini S, Donati MA, Ferrari A, Fiori S, Fiorillo C, Guerrini R, Mari F, Montomoli M, Pochiero F, Procopio E, Ruggiero L, Sampaolo S, Sicca F, Ticci C, Rubegni A, Santorelli FM. The diagnostic approach to mitochondrial disorders in children in the era of next­generation sequencing: a 4-year cohort study. J Clin Med. 2021;10(15):3222. https://doi.
org/10.3390/jcm10153222.
27 Headache Attributed to Mitochondrial Encephalopathy, Lactic Acidosis…
4. Tan J, Wagner M, Stenton SL, Strom TM, Wortmann SB, Prokisch H, Meitinger T, Oexle K, Klopstock T.Lifetime risk of autosomal recessive mitochondrial disorders calculated from genetic databases. EBioMedicine. 2020;54:102730.
5. Conti F, Di Martino S, Drago F, Bucolo C, Micale V, Montano V, Siciliano G, Mancuso M, Lopriore P.Red ags in primary mitochondrial diseases: what should we recognize? Int J Mol Sci. 2023;24:16746.
6. Shatirishvili T, Katsitadze Z, Yi Shiau Ng, Achuthaprasad A, Alston CL, Blakey E, Turnbull DM, Bregvadze K, Tkemaladze T, Tatishvili NN. Novel m.3764C>G variant in MT-ND1 linked to severe MELAS syndrome: a case report. Brain Dev Case Rep. 2025;3:100059.
7. Tiehuis LH, Koene S, Saris CGJ, Janssen MCH.Mitochondrial migraine; a prevalence, impact and treatment efcacy cohort study. Mitochondrion. 2020;53:128–32.
8. El-Hattab AW, Craigen WJ, Scaglia F. Mitochondrial DNA maintenance defects. Biochim Biophys Acta (BBA)– Mol Basis Dis. 2017;1863(6):1539–55.
9. Korinthenberg R, Kirschner J, Eckenweiler M, Steinfeld R, Tatishvili NN, Horvath R, Kleinle S, Abicht A.Alpers- and MNGIE-like disease with disturbed CSF folate transport and an unusual mode of genetic transmission of POLG mutations: a case report. J Int Child Neurol Assoc. 2020;20(216)
10. Finsterer J, Torres de Carvalho EH.Cerebral manifestations of mitochondrial disorders. Can J Neurol Sci. 2017;44:654–63. https://doi.org/10.1017/cjn.2017.211.
11. Burow P, Meyer A, Naegel S, Watzke S, Zierz S, Kraya T.Headache and migraine in mito­chondrial disease and its impact on life—results from a cross-sectional, questionnaire-based study. Acta Neurol Belg. 2021;121:1151–6.
12. Heath O, Feichtinger Ren’e G, Achleitner MT, Hofbauer P, Doris M, Merkevicius K, Spenger J, Steinbrücker K, Steindl C, Tiefenthaler E, Mayr JA, Wortmann SB. Mitochondrial disor­der diagnosis and management– what the pediatric neurologist wants to know. Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2025;54:75–88.
13. Headache Classication Committee of the International Headache Society (IHS). The interna­tional classication of headache disorders, 3rd edition 2018.
14. Hikmat O, Naess K, Engvall M, Klingenberg C, Rasmussen M, Tallaksen CM, Brodtkorb E, Ostergaard E, de Coo IFM, Pias-Peleteiro L, Isohanni P, Uusimaa J, Darin N, Rahman S, Bindoff LA.Simplifying the clinical classication of polymerase gamma (POLG) disease based on age of onset; studies using a cohort of 155 cases. J Inherit Metab Dis. 2020;43(4):726–36.
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15. Catello V, Guido P, Giacomo DM, Losurdo A, Servidei S.Migraine in mitochondrial disorders: prevalence and characteristics. Cephalalgia. 2018;38(6):1093–106.
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Chapter 28
Headache Attributed toMoyamoya Angiopathy
EsraKochanKizilkilic andDeryaUluduz

28.1 Introduction

Moyamoya disease (MMD) is a chronic, progressive cerebrovascular disorder char­acterized by bilateral stenosis or occlusion of the terminal portion of the internal carotid arteries (ICA) and the development of compensatory basal collateral ves­sels. These vessels appear as a “puff of smoke” on cerebral angiography—hence the name “Moyamoya,” which means “hazy” or “smoky” in Japanese [1, 2].
While MMD is traditionally recognized for its ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke presentations, headache is an increasingly acknowledged, yet underdiagnosed, manifestation of the disease, particularly in adults [3]. Clinical series and case reports suggest that headache can be the initial and sometimes the only presenting symptom of Moyamoya disease, preceding more serious cerebrovascular events by months or even years [4, 5].
Headaches in MMD can mimic primary headache disorders, particularly migraine without aura, and are often misclassied due to overlapping clinical fea­tures such as throbbing pain, photophobia, nausea, and unilateral localization [6, 7]. In some cases, patients may be labelled as having refractory migraine or chronic tension-type headache, delaying the correct diagnosis and appropriate management [8, 9]. In a recent case series from Indonesia, Moyamoya-related headache was among the most challenging initial presentations to identify, often requiring advanced neurovascular imaging for diagnosis [10]. Headaches associated with MMD can occur both in the ischemic phase, due to cerebral hypoperfusion, and in the hemorrhagic phase, due to the rupture of fragile collateral vessels [6]. Moreover,
E. KochanKizilkilic · D. Uluduz (*) Department of Neurology, University of Health Sciences, Prof. Dr. Cemil Tascioglu City Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey
Medical Faculty, Neurology Department, Istanbul University Cerrahpasa, Samatya, Türkiye
Switzerland AG 2026 D. Uludüz et al. (eds.), Rare Causes of Headache Disorders, Headache,
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-10242-3_28
263© The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature