Cluster headache associated with a sixth nerve palsy: A case report

Background: Cluster headache is a rare primary headache disorder characterized by recurrent, stereotyped short-lasting attacks of severe, unilateral head pain accompanied by autonomic symptoms. Methods/results: Ophthalmic features such as conjunctival injection, lacrimation, ptosis and miosis occur in the vast majority of patients with cluster headache, whereas co-existent ocular movement disorders are rare. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, only two documented cases of cluster headache with external ocular movement disorders have been reported. We describe herein an additional case with this unusual finding and discuss the putative pathophysiology of cluster headache associated with ophthalmoparesis.