Which of the following is included in the differential diagnosis for migraine headache?

Prepare for the Pharmacology IV – Headache Therapeutics Test. Review the therapeutic approaches, tackle multiple-choice questions with explanations, and boost your test-taking confidence. Ace your exam with precision!

The key idea is that evaluating migraine requires considering all conditions that can imitate or masquerade as migraine, not just one rival diagnosis. A comprehensive differential includes other primary headaches such as tension-type and cluster, which can resemble migraine in location, quality, or associated symptoms, as well as secondary headaches arising from other medical issues like head or neck trauma, cerebrovascular disorders (including stroke or TIA), intracranial lesions, infection, and similar problems. This broad approach helps avoid missing a potentially serious cause of headache and guides appropriate testing or treatment.

The other options are too narrow. Focusing only on tension-type or only on cluster omits other plausible primary mimics and the wide range of secondary causes. Including migraine with aura separately isn’t a differential for migraine itself; it’s a presentation within migraine, not a distinct category to rule out alongside migraine.