Headache with neurological deficits and CSF lymphocytosis: A transient ischemic attack mimic

M G Lansberg; A R Woolfenden; A M Norbash; D B Smith; G W Albers

doi:10.1016/s1052-3057(99)80039-1

Headache with neurological deficits and CSF lymphocytosis: A transient ischemic attack mimic

J Stroke Cerebrovasc Dis. 1999 Jan-Feb;8(1):42-4. doi: 10.1016/s1052-3057(99)80039-1.

Authors

M G Lansberg¹, A R Woolfenden, A M Norbash, D B Smith, G W Albers

Affiliation

¹ Standford Stroke Center, Stanford Univeristy Medical Center, Stanford, CA USA; Department of Neurology, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO USA; Colorado Neurological Institute, Englewood, CO, USA.

PMID: 17895137
DOI: 10.1016/s1052-3057(99)80039-1

Abstract

Headache with neurological deficits and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lymphocytosis (HaNDL) is a benign condition with a transient ischemic attack (TIA)-like presentation. It is a disease of young adults that is characterized by headache, transient focal neurological symptoms, and lymphocytic pleocytosis. The onset of neurological symptoms after cerebral angiography in patients with this disease has occasionally been reported. The authors present the case of a 28-year-old man with episodes of left-sided numbness and weakness associated with headache. He underwent cerebral angiography as part of his evaluation, after which he experienced an episode of right hemiplegia and aphasia. A subsequent magnetic resonance image (MRI) revealed two small new infarcts in the left parietal cortex. A diagnosis of HaNDL was made based mainly on clinical symptoms and CSF analysis. The symptoms resolved with conservative therapy. HaNDL is a benign condition that can present with symptoms similar to a TIA. Although HaNDL remains a diagnosis of exclusion, caution is required when considering cerebral angiography in the evaluation of patients with a HaNDL-like syndrome, because these patients seem prone to developing neurological symptoms after angiography.