J Korean Med Sci.  2017 Mar;32(3):502-506. 10.3346/jkms.2017.32.3.502.

Clinical Features of Cluster Headache Patients in Korea

• Moon HS
• Park JW
• Lee KS
• Chung CS
• Kim BK
• Kim JM
• Sohn JH
• Chu MK
• Oh K
• Cho SJ

• KMID: 2366648
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3346/jkms.2017.32.3.502

Abstract

Cluster headache (CH) is a rare underdiagnosed primary headache disorder with very severe unilateral pain and autonomic symptoms. Clinical characteristics of Korean patients with CH have not yet been reported. We analyzed the clinical features of CH patients from 11 university hospitals in Korea. Among a total of 200 patients with CH, only 1 patient had chronic CH. The average age of CH patients was 38.1 ± 8.9 years (range 19-60 years) and the average age of onset was 30.7 ± 10.3 years (range 10-57 years). The male-to-female ratio was 7:1 (2.9:1 among teen-onset and 11.7:1 among twenties-onset). Pain was very severe at 9.3 ± 1.0 on the visual analogue scale. The average duration of each attack was 100.6 ± 55.6 minutes and a bout of CH lasted 6.5 ± 4.5 weeks. Autonomic symptoms were present in 93.5% and restlessness or agitation was present in 43.5% of patients. Patients suffered 3.0 ± 3.5 (range 1-25) bouts over 7.3 ± 6.7 (range 1-30) years. Diurnal periodicity and season propensity were present in 68.5% and 44.0% of patients, respectively. There were no sex differences in associated symptoms or diurnal and seasonal periodicity. Korean CH patients had a high male-to-female ratio, relatively short bout duration, and low proportion of chronic CH, unlike CH patients in Western countries.

Keyword

Cluster Headache; Sex Ratio; Asia; Delayed Diagnosis; Pain; Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgia

MeSH Terms

Age of Onset
Asia
Cluster Headache*
Delayed Diagnosis
Dihydroergotamine
Headache Disorders, Primary
Hospitals, University
Humans
Korea*
Periodicity
Psychomotor Agitation
Seasons
Sex Characteristics
Sex Ratio
Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgias
Dihydroergotamine

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 The age of onset of CH and sex. CH = cluster headache.

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