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Daily Free Practice Question
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Updated on: 3/20/2026
During an acute cluster headache, an adult patient is pacing and appears agitated. Physical exam reveals left-sided tearing and conjunctival injection. What additional finding would most likely be present during this episode?
Rationale
AANP Domain Level: Assess
ANCC Domain Level: Assessment
Focus Area: Neurology
Cluster headaches often involve ipsilateral Horner’s syndrome—ptosis (drooping eyelid) and miosis (constricted pupil)—due to sympathetic dysfunction. These are transient and occur during attacks. Photophobia is more typical of migraines. Temporal artery tenderness suggests giant cell arteritis, and papilledema suggests increased intracranial pressure, not typical of cluster headaches.
Study Tip:
Cluster headaches are severe, unilateral, and short, and have autonomic signs like tearing and ptosis. They often wake patients from sleep and cause restlessness, not light/sound avoidance as seen in migraines.