Evidence-based treatments for cluster headache

Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgias: Beyond the Conventional Treatments

The trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias include cluster headache, paroxysmal hemicrania, short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks, and hemicrania continua. While the majority responds to conventional pharmacological treatments, a small but significant proportion of patients are intractable to these treatments. In these cases, alternative choices for these patients include oral and i...

Cluster headache: review of the literature.

All papers on cluster headaches were reviewed according to preset criteria under the following headings: classification, epidemiology, aetiology, pathophysiology, and clinical features. The management review used the Cochrane systematic review guidelines and so is based on randomized controlled trials wherever possible. A meta-analysis was not done. Other treatments are discussed and their draw...

Evidence Report: Behavioral and Physical Treatments for Tension-type and Cervicogenic Headache

Standardizing Management of Post-Dural Puncture Headache in Obstetric Patients: A Literature Review

Post-dural puncture headache continues to be a significant cause of morbidity in parturients. Despite being a common complication faced by many anesthesiologists, there is a lack of consensus regarding its management. Many still use traditionally taught treatments such as strict bed rest and aggressive hydration despite lack of evidence for their usage. Few are using newly tested treatments suc...

Efficacy of hypothalamic stimulation for chronic drug-resistant cluster headache.

The study of Seijo et al. recently published in this journal (1) provides further convincing evidence that posterior hypothalamic stimulation can be an effective treatment for carefully selected patients with drug-resistant chronic cluster headache. All five patients had a severe condition that had not responded to either drugs or previous surgical treatments. A number of aspects of the study d...

Cluster headache.

Cluster headache causes severe unilateral temporal or periorbital pain, lasting 15 to 180 minutes and accompanied by autonomic symptoms in the nose, eyes, and face. Headaches often recur at the same time each day during the cluster period, which can last for weeks to months. Some patients have chronic cluster headache without remission periods. The pathophysiology of cluster headache is not ful...