Question

Sudden onset headache with neck rigidity?

• A. Intraparenchymal hemorrhage
• B. Sah
• C. Meningitis
• D. None of the above

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

A sudden onset headache coupled with neck rigidity is highly indicative of a subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). SAH occurs when there is bleeding in the space between the brain and the tissues covering the brain, commonly due to a ruptured aneurysm. The key symptoms to note are:

• Sudden Severe Headache: Often described as the worst headache of the patient's life and comes on rapidly.
• Neck Rigidity: Stiffness in the neck due to irritation of the meninges caused by bleeding.

These symptoms align with SAH, distinguishing it from other conditions such as intraparenchymal hemorrhage and meningitis, which might have overlapping symptoms but differ in the typical presentation and cause. Intraparenchymal hemorrhage usually does not present with neck rigidity, and meningitis, while it can cause neck stiffness, generally does not involve a sudden severe headache of this nature. Therefore, based on the presentation:

Correct Answer: SAH