aHeadache Group, Institute of Neurology bThe National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, UK.
Curr Opin Neurol. 2014 Jun;27(3):325-31. doi: 10.1097/WCO.0000000000000090.
Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection and tearing (SUNCT), short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with autonomic symptoms (SUNA) and trigeminal neuralgia are considered different disorders, thus grouped in separate sections of the International Classification of Headache Disorders 3 beta. However, the clinical, radiological and therapeutic overlap between SUNCT, SUNA, and trigeminal neuralgia has challenged this traditional view. This review summarizes the available clinical and pathophysiological evidence on whether SUNCT, SUNA and trigeminal neuralgia should be considered separate entities or variants of the same disorder.
Data on the clinical phenotype and effective management strategies in SUNCT and SUNA syndromes have shown striking similarities with trigeminal neuralgia. Moreover, studies exploring radiological findings supported the hypothesis of common aetiological and pathophysiological basis between SUNCT/SUNA and trigeminal neuralgia. However, a limitation of most studies is that they have included small samples of patients and therefore any conclusions need to be drawn cautiously.
Despite being considered distinct conditions, emerging clinical and radiological evidence supports a broader nosological concept of SUNCT, SUNA, and trigeminal neuralgia. These conditions may constitute a continuum of the same disorder, rather than separate clinical entities. Further evidence is required to shed light on this nosological issue, given its potential impact on clinical practice and further research studies in this area.
短暂单侧丛集性头痛伴结膜充血和流泪（SUNCT）、短暂单侧丛集性头痛伴自主神经症状（SUNA）和三叉神经痛被认为是不同的疾病，因此被分组在国际头痛疾病分类第 3 版的不同章节中。然而，SUNCT、SUNA 和三叉神经痛之间的临床、影像学和治疗重叠挑战了这一传统观点。本综述总结了关于 SUNCT、SUNA 和三叉神经痛是否应被视为独立实体或同一疾病的变体的现有临床和病理生理学证据。
关于 SUNCT 和 SUNA 综合征临床表型和有效管理策略的数据表明，它们与三叉神经痛有惊人的相似之处。此外，探索影像学发现的研究支持了 SUNCT/SUNA 和三叉神经痛之间存在共同病因和病理生理学基础的假设。然而，大多数研究的一个局限性是它们纳入了小样本的患者，因此任何结论都需要谨慎得出。
尽管被认为是不同的疾病，但新出现的临床和影像学证据支持将 SUNCT、SUNA 和三叉神经痛纳入更广泛的分类概念。这些疾病可能构成同一疾病的连续体，而不是独立的临床实体。鉴于其对临床实践和该领域进一步研究的潜在影响，需要进一步的证据来阐明这一分类问题。
