Cells of the Epidermis. The majority of epidermal cells are keratinocytes that produce a fibrous protective protein called keratin. Melanocytes are epithelial cells that synthesize the pigment melanin. Langerhans cells, or epidermal dendritic cells, are macrophages that help activate the immune system.Merkel cells are associated with sensory nerve endings. Layers of the Epidermis. The stratum basale (basal layer) is the deepest epidermal layer and is the site of mitosis.ells of the Epidermis. The majority of epidermal cells are keratinocytes that produce a fibrous protective protein called keratin. Melanocytes are epithelial cells that synthesize the pigment melanin. Langerhans cells, or epidermal dendritic cells, are macrophages that help activate the immune system.
Some patients with occipital neuralgia also have dizziness, presumably due to a variant of cervical vertigo. See our cervical vertigo page for more about this complicated subject. Many patients with occipital neuralgia also experience typical migraine symptoms.
The main symptom of occipital neuralgia is chronic headache. The pain is commonly localized in the back and around or over the top of the head, sometimes up to the eyebrow or behind the eye. Because chronic headaches are a common symptom of numerous conditions, occipital neuralgia is often misdiagnosed at first, most commonly as tension headaches or migraines, leading to unsuccessful treatment attempts.