Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Thunderclap Headache with Orgasm: A Case of Basilar Artery Dissection Associated with Sexual Intercourse

The Journal of Emergency Medicine.
B. Elizabeth Delasobera, MD, Scott R. Osborn, MD, Jonathan E. Davis, MD
Received 26 May 2009; received in revised form 23 July 2009; accepted 23 August 2009. published online 09 October 2009.

Abstract
Background: Headaches associated with sexual intercourse (coital cephalgia) have many different causes and are often divided in the literature into pre-orgasmic and orgasmic headaches.
Objective: To present a case of orgasmic headache caused by a basilar artery dissection and to present a literature-based guide to the diagnosis and management of patients presenting with headaches related to sexual activity. Case Report: We report the case of a 34-year-old man without significant past medical history who presented to the Emergency Department with two episodes of orgasmic headache caused by basilar artery dissection.

Conclusions: The cause of headaches related to sexual activity range from the benign to the life-threatening. Due to the dynamics of cerebral blood flow during sexual intercourse, basilar artery dissections and aneurysms should be considered in patients with sudden-onset headaches during orgasm. Appropriate brain imaging and, possibly, lumbar puncture may assist in identifying potentially life-threatening causes of coital headaches.

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