Classification and clinical features of headache patients: an outpatient clinic study from China

Abstract

This study aimed to analyze and classify the clinical features of headache in neurological outpatients. A cross-sectional study was conducted consecutively from March to May 2010 for headache among general neurological outpatients attending the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. Personal interviews were carried out and a questionnaire was used to collect medical records. Diagnosis of headache was according to the International classification of headache disorders, 2nd edition (ICHD-II). Headache patients accounted for 19.5% of the general neurology clinic outpatients. A total of 843 (50.1%) patients were defined as having primary headache, 454 (27%) secondary headache, and 386 (23%) headache not otherwise specified (headache NOS). For primary headache, 401 (23.8%) had migraine, 399 (23.7%) tension-type headache (TTH), 8 (0.5%) cluster headache and 35 (2.1%) other headache types. Overall, migraine patients suffered (1) more severe headache intensity, (2) longer than 6 years of headache history and (3) more common analgesic medications use than TTH ones (p < 0.001).TTH patients had more frequent episodes of headaches than migraine patients, and typically headache frequency exceeded 15 days/month (p < 0.001); 22.8% of primary headache patients were defined as chronic daily headache. Almost 20% of outpatient visits to the general neurology department were of headache patients, predominantly primary headache of migraine and TTH. In outpatient headaches, more attention should be given to headache intensity and duration of headache history for migraine patients, while more attention to headache frequency should be given for the TTH ones.

Chronic migraine and chronic daily headache in the Asia-Pacific region: A systematic review

“…The frequency of CDH as a percentage of all headache patients ranged from 23% to 79% (mean 43%). The mean frequency of CM as a percentage of CDH cases was 46%, with the lowest value (4.7%) again from a Chinese study (54). In patients with CM, the frequency of MOH or medication overuse was 28-75% (mean 54%) ( Table 2).…”

“…Eleven studies reported the frequency of CDH, which ranged from 23% (54,61) to 79% (68) of patients with headache. The CDH frequency was below 30% in four studies(54,61,62,71), one of which used alternative criteria(20,71), 36-39% in three studies from Malaysia…”

Changing Clinical Characteristics of Pulmonary Thromboembolism in the Elderly

“…The prevalence of headache in the adult population is 46%. Tension-type headache (43%) and migraine (11%) are types of headaches that most frequently affect adults (1).…”

Analgesics Overuse Among Students of Dammam and King Faisal Universities in Saudi Arabia.

“…5(2), 1458-1461 1459 Unfortunately, chronically affected migraine patients are more likely, than other headache patients, to overuse analgesics. [4] Each year, 2.5% of patients with episodic migraine (EM) develop new-onset chronic migraine. [5] Overuse of analgesics among patients with episodic migraine put them at great risk of getting transformed migraine, progression from episodic migraine(<15days/month) to chronic migraine.…”