A Retired Teacher With a Constant Headache and Vomiting

Amanda L. Blackmon, DO, MS; Lauren Pinter-Brown, MD

January 05, 2022

Editor's Note:
The Case Challenge series includes difficult-to-diagnose conditions, some of which are not frequently encountered by most clinicians but are nonetheless important to accurately recognize. Test your diagnostic and treatment skills using the following patient scenario and corresponding questions. If you have a case that you would like to suggest for a future Case Challenge, please contact us.

Background

A 77-year-old retired teacher presents to the emergency department with dizziness, imbalance, nausea/vomiting, and a constant headache for the past 2 weeks. He describes his headache as diffuse and throbbing. His history is significant for hepatitis C; hypothyroidism; Helicobacter pylori infection; and mantle cell lymphoma, which was diagnosed 2 years ago and is currently in remission. The patient is taking rituximab for maintenance therapy. He takes lorazepam nightly for sleep.

The patient reports having traveled to Brazil 3 weeks ago. His family describes the patient as having been more confused than usual. He has been around his grandchildren, who attend a daycare center. He has a 40–pack-year smoking history and quit smoking 30 years ago. He reports occasional alcohol use and denies illicit drug use. He currently lives with his significant other. He is HIV negative. His vaccination status is unknown.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6

Next Section

Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.

Cite this: Amanda L. Blackmon, Lauren Pinter-Brown. A Retired Teacher With a Constant Headache and Vomiting - Medscape - Jan 05, 2022.

Comments

Commenting is limited to medical professionals. To comment please Log-in.

Comments on Medscape are moderated and should be professional in tone and on topic. You must declare any conflicts of interest related to your comments and responses. Please see our Commenting Guide for further information. We reserve the right to remove posts at our sole discretion.