An 81-year-old woman with a 30-year history of hypertension and dyslipidemia, both at treatment goal, presents with a 1-week history of a new-onset headache. She states, “I’ve never had a headache like this before in my life.”

She has a history of migraine without aura beginning in her early teens, with only rare episodes since her early 50s. At age 60, she had herpes zoster ophthalmicus, which resolved without visual changes or neurologic sequelae.

Her current symptoms include right-sided scalp tenderness that worsens when she brushes her hair, unusual fatigue, and pain in the right jaw that develops with chewing and is promptly relieved when she stops moving her jaw. She is drinking fluids without difficulty but is eating less because chewing precipitates the jaw pain. She denies dysphagia, fever, diarrhea, constipation, or visual changes. She reports mild nausea associated with the headache.

Physical examination is at her previous baseline except for right-sided scalp tenderness and a thickened, tender right temporal artery area. Vital signs are unremarkable except for BP 155/82 mm Hg.

Which diagnosis best explains this patient's current clinical presentation?

A. A. Giant cell arteritis

B. Headache secondary to elevated blood pressure

C. Migraine without aura

D. Trigeminal neuralgia

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