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Rhinogenic Headaches

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Surgical Treatment of Chronic Headaches and Migraines
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Abstract

Headaches of rhinogenic origin pose a particular diagnostic and therapeutic challenge to the plastic surgeon or otolaryngologist. Although there is significant evidence to suggest that functional nasal surgery to correct aberrant contact points within the nose can improve chronic headache symptoms, the pathophysiology of this process is not well understood. Identification of patients with rhinogenic headache can be challenging given the variable presentation and overlap with other headache types. Furthermore, surgeons must also possess knowledge of the most common surgical procedures that are used to address aberrant mucosal contact points. Given that rhinogenic headaches are a common clinical entity, a thorough understanding of the management strategies for these headaches is essential to the practicing surgeon. In this chapter, we will review the proposed pathophysiology and diagnostic criteria for rhinogenic headaches, and provide a description of the various surgical approaches that can be used to effectively treat these headaches in the general population.

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Correspondence to Ahmed M. Afifi .

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Farmer, R.L., Garg, R.K., Afifi, A.M., Hochman, M. (2020). Rhinogenic Headaches. In: Afifi, A., Peled, Z., Janis, J. (eds) Surgical Treatment of Chronic Headaches and Migraines. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36794-7_9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-36794-7_9

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