ICHD-II Criteria Research Articles

Characteristics, impact and treatment of 6000 headache attacks: The PAMINA study

The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the characteristics of headache attacks, their impact on daily activities as well as the type and efficacy of acute medication in patients with migraine. We included 281 patients with episodic migraine (87% females, aged 41.2 ± 12.1). All patients kept a headache diary for 3 months covering headache characteristics, therapy and questions adopted from the Headache Impact Test (HIT-6) for rating the impact of each single headache attack (HIT-6s). For evaluating the efficacy of acute medication we compared triptans with other compounds using headache duration as outcome parameter. Of 6051 headache attacks 52.8% fulfilled the ICHD-II criteria of migraine. The HIT-6s score was 2.4 ± 2.2 (range 0–6). It was lowest in untreated headaches (2.0 ± 2.1) and highest in those treated with a combination of triptans and other compounds (4.1 ± 2.0, p < 0.001). Patients used triptans on 8.0% of all headache days, other compounds on 33.1%, a combination of both on 1.5% and no medication on 57.3% of the headache days. Migraine attacks of moderate or severe intensity treated with triptans alone lasted significantly shorter than those treated with other compounds (5.1 ± 3.6 vs. 6.9 ± 5.3 h, p < 0.001). In conclusion, almost 50% of the headaches occurring in patients with migraine do not fulfill migraine criteria. Use of triptans is associated with a shorter duration of moderate and severe migraine attacks compared to use of other compounds.

Outpatient Home‐Based Continuous Intravenous Dihydroergotamine Therapy for Intractable Migraine

Established consecutive-day inpatient intravenous dihydroergotamine protocols administered by bolus intravenous injection or continuous infusion injection in the hospital have demonstrated efficacy and safety in modifying the course of daily intractable headache. We conducted a study to determine efficacy, tolerability, and feasibility to treat patients with daily intractable headache with continuous intravenous dihydroergotamine in an outpatient home-based setting. A total of 31 patients fulfilling ICHD-II criteria for chronic daily headache, 25 with chronic migraine and 6 with medication overuse headache, were treated with outpatient home-based continuous intravenous dihydroergotamine for 3 days. Patients were pretreated with 10 mg intravenous metoclopramide prior to the first day of infusion and administered 3 mg dihydroergotamine given continuously at a rate of 42 mL/hour on day 1 and 2, and administered 1.5 mg on day 3 at the rate of 21 mL/hour. The primary end point was a change in pain intensity, as measured by an 11-point numeric pain intensity scale at the end of 3 days. The secondary end point was reduction in headache frequency at long-term follow-up. Patients reported an average of 63.4% reduction in the intensity of migraine pain by the end of the 3-day infusion. Side effects were minimal and no serious adverse effects occurred. Approximately one-third of patients became completely headache-free after day 3, and 1 patient had no improvement. Long-term follow-up data indicated an average 86% reduction in headache frequency and almost every patient converted from chronic daily headache to episodic migraine except for 1 patient. Patients with medication overuse headache were no longer consuming the daily offending medication. Efficacy and safety of our outpatient home-based intravenous dihydroergotamine program compared favorably to that of established inpatient intravenous pulse injection and continuous infusion protocols for the treatment of intractable migraine. The use of outpatient continuous intravenous dihydroergotamine is an effective and well-tolerated therapy for intractable migraine but without the added cost and inconvenience of hospitalization.

Pharmacoepidemiology of triptans in a headache centre

The aims of this survey were: (i) to examine the pharmacoepidemiology of triptans in a headache centre; (ii) to compare the characteristics of patients who continued to take triptans with those of patients who had discontinued them. We enrolled all migraine patients according to ICHD-II criteria, ensuring they were over 18 years of age, consecutively examined during a follow-up visit at the Headache Centre of the University Hospital of Modena from October 2008 to March 2009. Only patients who had used or were using a triptan were included. A specific questionnaire about the use and tolerability of triptans was created for the study and administered to every patient. On the whole, 343 patients (migraine without aura: 72%; chronic migraine: 26%; migraine with aura: 2%; mean age 40.4 +/- 10 years) had used or were using triptans. Most patients (72%) continued to use triptans, above all for their efficacy. The minority (28%) discontinuing them were younger and suffered from less severe migraine; 59% of them had discontinued triptans because of adverse effects. Indeed, 92% of these patients versus 57% of patients who were currently using triptans reported adverse effects (p < .0001, Fisher's exact test). The number of patients reporting adverse effects significantly decreased with age (r = -0.230, p < .005, simple linear regression analysis). The triptan discontinued by the highest percentage of patients (84%) was subcutaneous 6 mg sumatriptan. Significantly more patients reported adverse effects with subcutaneous 6 mg (89%) and tablet 100 mg sumatriptan (67%) than with any other triptan. The increase of the tolerability of triptans with age could partly explain why younger patients suffering from less severe migraine tend to discontinue triptans more than older patients suffering from more severe migraine. In the latter, the efficacy and better tolerability (but not necessarily safety) of triptans could foster the overuse of these medications.

Proposals for New Standardized General Diagnostic Criteria for the Secondary Headaches

Headache classification is a dynamic process through clinical testing and re-testing of current and proposed criteria. After publication of the second edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-II), need arose for revisions in the classification of medication overuse headache and chronic migraine. These changes made apparent a further need for broader revisions to the standard formulation of diagnostic criteria for the secondary headaches. Currently, the fourth criterion makes impossible the definitive diagnosis of a secondary headache until the underlying cause has resolved or been cured or greatly ameliorated by therapy, at which time the headache may no longer be present. Given that the main purpose of diagnostic criteria is to enable a diagnosis at the onset of a disease in order to guide treatment, this is unhelpful in clinical practice. In the present paper we propose maintaining a standard approach to the secondary headaches using a set of four criteria A, B, C and D, but we construct these so that the requirement for resolution or successful treatment is removed. The proposal for general diagnostic criteria for the secondary headaches will be entered into the internet-based version of the appendix of ICHD-II. During 2009 the Classification Committee will apply the general criteria to all the specific types of secondary headaches. These, and other changes, will be included in a revision of the entire classification entitled ICHD-IIR, expected to be published in 2010. ICHD-IIR will be printed and posted on the website and will be the official classification of the International Headache Society. Unfortunately, it will be necessary to translate ICHD-IIR into the many languages of the world, but the good news is that no major changes to the headache classification are then foreseen for the next 10 years. Until the printing of ICHD-IIR, the printed ICHD-II criteria remain in place for all other purposes. We issue a plea to the headache community to use and study these proposed general criteria for the secondary headaches in order to provide more evidence for their utility-before their incorporation in the main body of the classification.

The Tolosa-Hunt Syndrome in Children: A Case Report

Tolosa-Hunt syndrome (THS) is characterized by unilateral painful ophthalmoplegia with oculomotor paresis, associated with an idiopathic granulomatous inflammation involving the cavernous sinus, with a typical relapsing-remitting course. We report a case of an 8-year-old girl who was admitted because of an ophthalmoplegia with exotropia and ptosis of the left eyelid, accompanied by diplopia and left sovraorbital pain. The clinical data, neuroradiological findings and response to steroid treatment suggested THS, as defined by the 2004 International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD)-II criteria. THS must be considered a possible cause of painful ophthalmoplegia in childhood, as well as in adults, and confirmed with a focused neuroradiological investigation. The few paediatric cases described in the literature that meet the 2004 ICHD-II criteria are not sufficient to identify possible differences between the paediatric and the adult forms. Every new paediatric case should therefore be reported in order to gather and compare further information.

Cluster-like headache. A comprehensive reappraisal

Among the primary headaches, cluster headache (CH) presents very particular features allowing a relatively easy diagnosis based on criteria listed in Chapter 3 of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-II). However, as in all primary headaches, possible underlying causal conditions must be excluded to rule out a secondary cluster-like headache (CLH). The observation of some cases with clinical features mimicking primary CH, but of secondary origin, led us to perform an extended review of CLH reports in the literature. We identified 156 CLH cases published from 1975 to 2008. The more frequent pathologies in association with CLH were the vascular ones (38.5%, n = 57), followed by tumours (25.7%, n = 38) and inflammatory infectious diseases (13.5%, n = 20). Eighty were excluded from further analysis, because of inadequate information. The remaining 76 were divided into two groups: those that satisfied the ICHD-II diagnostic criteria for CH, 'fulfilling' group (F), n = 38; and those with a symptomatology in disagreement with one or more ICHD-II criteria, 'not fulfilling' group (NF), n = 38. Among the aims of this study was the possible identification of clinical features leading to the suspicion of a symptomatic origin. In the differential diagnosis with CH, red flags resulted both for F and NF, older age at onset; for NF, abnormal neurological/general examination (73.6%), duration (34.2%), frequency (15.8%) and localization (10.5%) of the attacks. We stress the fact that, on first observation, 50% of CLH presented as F cases, perfectly mimicking CH. Therefore, the importance of accurate, clinical evaluation and of neuroimaging cannot be overestimated.

Whiplash headache: Does the diagnosis make more harm than the whiplash?

According to the study of Obermann et al. in the current issue of Cephalalgia, headache after whiplash injury is a self-limiting condition with a good prognosis. Although 4.6% fulfilled criteria for chronic whiplash headache, i.e. still having headache after 3 months, none had headache lasting more than 1 year. Predictors for headache lasting > 3 months were medication overuse, pre-existing pain conditions, and several psychological factors. Another factor, sore throat after the whiplash, was somewhat speculatively interpreted as a possible result of musculoskeletal damage. The headaches were mostly compatible with tension-type headache (TTH). Although the study has a positive message, that the headache subsides in less than a year, it also demonstrates some very problematic aspects of the whiplash headache entity. First, the criteria contain no description of the headache itself. It is sufficient that the headache and neck pain occur within 7 days after an event with a possible whiplash mechanism. For the chronic whiplash headache, it is required that the headache persists for > 3 months after the accident, but there is no requirement that the headache occurs with a certain frequency. This is in contrast to, for example, chronic TTH, where the headache must occur on more than half of the days for > 3 months. Quite wisely, therefore, the authors have in their definition of chronic headache added the requirement that the headache shall occur daily or near daily. Nevertheless, to find enough patients with ‘chronic’ headache for the analysis, they also used the criteria of the Quebec task force (QTF), but also these criteria have no definition of chronicity. An even more problematic aspect of the chronic whiplash headache entity is that, according to the very lax International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edn (ICHD-II) criteria, in principle any headache that occurs in an individual for years after the event can be classified as chronic whiplash headache, provided that there was head and neck pain during the first week. This is so even though this single event leaves no trace in the body that can be demonstrated by objective means, and even if the headache resembles the naturally occurring primary headaches, as demonstrated in this and previous studies (1,2). This issue is even more crucial after the demonstration that even sham whiplash accidents, involving virtually no physical forces but many psychological stressors, could induce head and neck pain in up to 20% of the exposed individuals within the first days after the event (3), hence allowing a diagnosis of whiplash headache according to the current ICHD-II criteria. Thus, it may be that so-called whiplash headache mostly or even exclusively represents primary headache induced by the stress of the situation (2). Theoretically, it is highly unsatisfactory to have a headache category named after each type of precipitant for headache episodes, psychological or other. From a practical viewpoint, it is probably unsound to name the headache after the whiplash event if the headache is a primary headache, particularly since most patients and health professionals will then tend to understand the aetiology in terms of a physical injury to head and neck structures. Many unhealthy practices (e.g. use of a neck collar, hazardous neck operations) that may increase the complaints stem from a traumatic conception of the headache, and the prognosis of headache after rear-end collisions seems to be best in cultures where the traumatic event is ignored (4). In the present study the incidence of chronic headache is consistent with the prevalence figures of chronic headache seen in population-based studies, and the authors wisely comment that development of chronicity in this whiplash group may have similar pathophysiological or clinical mechanisms to chronic headache in general. In my opinion, this raises the issue of whether whiplash headache is a biologically meaningful entity, i.e. caused by injury to head or neck structures. To solve this problem, descriptive case series based on patients presenting in an emergency room or to a

Two-stage case-control association study of dopamine-related genes and migraine.

BackgroundWe previously reported risk haplotypes for two genes related with serotonin and dopamine metabolism: MAOA in migraine without aura and DDC in migraine with aura. Herein we investigate the contribution to migraine susceptibility of eight additional genes involved in dopamine neurotransmission.MethodsWe performed a two-stage case-control association study of 50 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), selected according to genetic coverage parameters. The first analysis consisted of 263 patients and 274 controls and the replication study was composed by 259 cases and 287 controls. All cases were diagnosed according to ICHD-II criteria, were Spanish Caucasian, and were sex-matched with control subjects.ResultsSingle-marker analysis of the first population identified nominal associations of five genes with migraine. After applying a false discovery rate correction of 10%, the differences remained significant only for DRD2 (rs2283265) and TH (rs2070762). Multiple-marker analysis identified a five-marker T-C-G-C-G (rs12363125-rs2283265-rs2242592-rs1554929-rs2234689) risk haplotype in DRD2 and a two-marker A-C (rs6356-rs2070762) risk haplotype in TH that remained significant after correction by permutations. These results, however, were not replicated in the second independent cohort.ConclusionThe present study does not support the involvement of the DRD1, DRD2, DRD3, DRD5, DBH, COMT, SLC6A3 and TH genes in the genetic predisposition to migraine in the Spanish population.

A Consecutive Series of 22 Cases of Hypnic Headache in France

A series of 22 patients was consecutively diagnosed with hypnic headache (HH) from June 2007 to June 2008 in two headache specialty centres participating in the French Observatory of Migraine and Headaches. Patients and headache characteristics were compared with the 2004 International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edn (ICHD-II) criteria for HH and published series of HH patients. One-third of HH patients reported migraine-like headaches (pulsating/unilateral/stabbing) and > 20% were aged < 50 years at symptom onset. Of note, HH patients displayed typical motor activities during the headache (getting up, eating/drinking especially a cup of coffee, reading/watching television) that differentiate HH from migraine and suggest relationships between HH and trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias. The functional and emotional impact of HH appears low and similar to that of migraine in patients consulting in primary care practice. Improvements in ICHD-II criteria are suggested, especially to introduce the typical motor behaviour acted out by HH patients.

The Use of Migraine Preventive Medications Among Patients with and without Migraine Headaches

The aim was to describe the use of and adherence to migraine preventives among insured patients meeting the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edn (ICHD-II) criteria for migraine headaches. A retrospective, case-control study was conducted using data from a telephone interview linked with health insurance claims data. Subjects were health plan enrollees aged 18-55 years who had incurred at least one encounter between June 2000 and November 2001. Interview responses were used to identify cases meeting the ICHD-II criteria for strict and probable migraine and a random sample of controls. Pharmacy claims data were used to construct measures of use and adherence. Differences in outcomes by adherence status were evaluated using generalized linear models. We identified 2517 cases and 941 controls. Among cases, the prevalence of antidepressant use was 4%, anticonvulsant use was 1.9%, antihypertensive use was 8.9%. Combined use was 13.4% among cases and did not differ significantly from that observed among controls (12.4%). Mean adherence rate between the first and last dispensing during the year was high (88%) and did not differ by migraine status. When the entire 12-month period is considered, adherence was substantially lower (56%). Patients who were adherent between dispensings reported significantly less migraine-related disability and incurred higher prescription drug costs, but did not differ in their total medical care costs. Patients with migraine are unlikely to be users of preventive medications. Among users, few are taking preventive medications continuously. Patients with migraine-especially those without a medical diagnosis for migraine or headaches-are not receiving the benefits available from existing pharmacotherapy options.

Space Headache: A New Secondary Headache

Headache is a common, but rarely voiced, complaint during space flights, usually attributed to space motion sickness (SMS). We used a specifically designed questionnaire based on the criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edn (ICHD-II). Of the 16 male and one female astronauts who participated in the survey, 12 (71%) reported having experienced at least one headache episode while in space, whereas they had not suffered from headache when on earth. There were in total 21 space headache episodes, of moderate to severe intensity in 71%. In two astronauts (12%) the headache and associated symptoms would match the ICHD-II criteria for migraine and in three (18%) astronauts for tension-type headache; in 12 (70%) astronauts the headache was non-specific. The vast majority of headache episodes (76%) were not associated with symptoms of SMS. We conclude that space flights may trigger headaches without other SMS symptoms in otherwise 'super-healthy' male subjects. We propose to classify space headache as a separate entity among the secondary headaches attributed to disorders of homeostasis.

A case of atypical sporadic hemiplegic migraine associated with PFO and hypoplasia of vertebro-basilar system

We describe the case of a patient with atypical hemiplegic migraine and associated basilar symptoms, where a large patent foramen ovale (PFO) and hypoplasia of basilar artery were found. The longer period of 4-year remission of the headache attacks was coincident with the percutaneous PFO closure. When 5 years after, hemiplegic migraine attacks relapsed, with more relevant basilar symptoms, a mild re-opening of PFO was found. The atypical presentation of attacks with basilar symptoms and prolonged hemiplegia does not strictly fit the diagnostic criteria of ICHD-II.

Application of ICHD-II Criteria for Headaches in a TMJ and Orofacial Pain Clinic

The aim of this study was to identify and diagnose headache in a temporomandibular joint and orofacial pain clinic population using the second edition of The International Classification of Headache Disorder criteria. In 502 temporomandibular disorder and orofacial pain patients, 246 patients (49%) were diagnosed with tension-type headache (TTH), followed by migraine without aura (14.5%), probable migraine (12.9%), migraine with aura (7%), probable TTH (4.8%) and cluster headache (0.2%). The prevalence of headaches was compared between male and female patients, and the prevalence of migraine was found to be higher in women than in men. In evaluating by age, the prevalence of migraine was highest in patients in their 20s and 30s and declined as age increased above 40. TTH showed the highest rate throughout all age groups, but it also decreased as age increased. In this study, the prevalence of migraine was lower than that reported in Dr Kim et al.'s study, and the prevalence of TTH much higher than that reported in the previous study. Of the headache patients, 81.1% presented with masseter muscle pain and 47.8% with temporal muscle pain. This finding suggests that pericranial muscle pain may be an inducing factor of primary headache.

Psychiatric disorders and headache familial recurrence: a study on 200 children and their parents.

The main aim of the study was to examine the relationship between headache and familial recurrence of psychiatric disorders in parents and their children. Headache history and symptomatology have been collected in a clinical sample of 200 patients and their families, using a semi-structured interview (ICHD-II criteria). Psychiatric comorbidity was assessed by DSM-IV criteria. Chi squares and a loglinear analysis were computed in order to evaluate the main effects and interactions between the following factors: frequency and headache subtypes (migraine/not-migraine) in children, headache (migraine/not-migraine-absent/present) in parents, headache (absent/present) in grandparents, and psychiatric comorbidity (absent/present) have been analyzed: 94 mothers (47%) and 51 fathers (25.5%) had at least one psychiatric disorder, mainly mood and anxiety disorders. Considering the significant prevalence of Psi-co in children (P < 0.0001), we compared it with the presence of familiarity to headache: a significant interaction has been found (P < 0.05) showing that migraineurs with high familial recurrence of headache had a higher percentage (74.65%) of psychiatric disorders, than no-migraineurs (52.17%). Absence of headache familial loading seems to be related to psi-co only in no-migraine headache (87.5 vs. 45.5%). The occurrence of psychiatric disorders is high in children with headache, but a very different pattern seems to characterize migraine (familial co-transmission of migraine and Psi-Co?) if compared with non-migraine headache.

Familial hemiplegic migraine: linkage to chromosome 14q32 in a Spanish kindred

We sought to map the disease-causing gene in a large Spanish kindred with familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM). Patients were classified according to the ICHD-II criteria. After ruling out linkage to known migraine genetic loci, a single nucleotide polymorphism-based, 0.62-cM density genome-wide scan was performed. Among 13 affected subjects, FHM was the prevailing migraine phenotype in six, migraine with aura in four and migraine without aura in three. Linkage analysis revealed a disease locus in a 4.15-Mb region on 14q32 with a maximum two-point logarithm of odds (LOD) score of 3.1 and a multipoint parametric LOD score of 3.8. This genomic region does not overlap with the reported migraine loci on 14q21-22. Sequence analysis of three candidate genes in the region, SLC24A4, ATXN3 and ITPK1, failed to show disease-causing mutations in our patients. Genetic heterogeneity in FHM may be greater than previously suspected.

Multicenter clinical study of childhood periodic syndromes that are common precursors to migraine using new criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-II)

Purpose : To evaluate the clinical features and characteristics of childhood periodic syndromes (CPS) in Korea using the new criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD)-II. Methods : The study was conducted at pediatric neurology clinics of five urban tertiary-care medical centers in Korea from January 2006 to December 2007. Patients (44 consecutive children and adolescents) were divided into three groups (cyclic vomiting syndrome [CVS], abdominal migraine [AM], and benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood [BPVC]) by recurrent paroxysmal episodes of vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, and/or vertigo using the ICHD-II criteria and their characteristics were compared. Results : Totally, 16 boys (36.4%) and 28 girls (63.6%) were examined (aged 4-18 yr), with 20 CVS (45.5%), 8 AM (18.2%), and 16 BPVC (36.4%) patients. The mean age at symptom onset was 6.33.6 yr, 8.52.7 yr, and 8.52.9 yr in the CVS, AM, and BPVC groups, respectively, showing that symptoms appeared earliest in the CVS group. The mean age at diagnosis was 8.03.4 yr, 10.52.6 yr, and 10.13.2 yr the CVS, AM, and BPVC groups, respectively. Of the 44 patients, 17 (38.6%) had a history of recurrent headaches and 11 (25.0%) showed typical symptoms of migraine headache, with 5 CVS (25.0%), 2 AM (25.0%), and 4 BPVC (25.0%) patients. Family history of migraine was found in 9 patients (20.4%): 4 in the CVS group (20.0%), 2 in the AM group (25.0%), and 3 in the BPVC group (18.8%). Conclusion : The significant time lag between the age at symptom onset and final diagnosis possibly indicates poor knowledge of CPS among pediatric practitioners, especially in Korea. A high index of suspicion may be the first step toward caring for these patients. Furthermore, a population-based longitudinal study is necessary to determine the incidence and natural course of these syndromes.

Scopolamine-induced Migraine Like Headache

Scopolamine butylbromide (SB), a muscarinic receptor antagonist, is used commonly in gastric X-ray examination in the physical check-up in Japan. This study describes clinical features of SB-induced headache. SB-induced headache was defined as headache that started within 20 minutes after intramuscular administration of SB (20 mg/body). The Primary and the secondary headaches were diagnosed according to the ICHD-II criteria. SB-induced headache was classified as headache induced by acute substance use or that due to exposure (ICHD-II code 8.1). Clinical features and background of subjects with SB-induced headache were analyzed. We also estimated the frequency of SB-related headache between migraineurs and non-migraineurs. A total of 54 subjects (39 women and 15 men) experienced SB-induced headache. All subjects had the present history of migraine. Nine subjects had > or =2 times of the headache. Mean age (SD) was 46.2 (9.7) years [46.2 (9.7) for women and 46.3 (10.0) for men]. Clinical hallmarks of headache showed that pulsating / throbbing pain occurred in diffuse or bilateral head sites. Headache worsened at 20-30 minutes from the onset and persisted for 6-18 hours, and ameliorated gradually 8 hours later. All subjects had repeated nausea and vomiting. Severity of headache revealed severe degree requiring complete bed rest in 50 subjects (92.6%). SB-induced headache had similar characteristics as migraine without aura (MO) attacks. Liver and renal functions were normal in all SB-related migraineurs. They had no allergic history of medication and food. In 1,865 non-migraine controls, one healthy subject had a mild degree of migraine like headache triggered by SB injection. SB triggers a severe degree MO like headache or worsens pre-existing migraine in some migraineurs. SB-induced headache could contribute to disequilibrium between acetylcholine and other neuropeptides. We should use SB more carefully as it can be an aggravating drug of migraine.

Clinical Features of Primary Headache in Children: A Multicentre Hospital-Based Study in France

The aim of this study was to evaluate the concordance between clinical diagnosis and the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 2nd edn (ICHD-II) in children and adolescents with primary headaches. This 6-month prospective multicentre study of 486 patients (mean 9.8 +/- 3.1 years; 52.6% girls) assessed the headache features through a structured questionnaire. In 398 patients with a single type of headache, headaches were bilateral (78.1%), frontal (62.4%), pulsatile (56.1%), with associated symptoms in 84.4%. The most frequently assigned diagnoses were migraine without aura (50.8%), probable migraine (14.1%), migraine with aura (11.1%) and frequent episodic tension-type headache (7.5%). For most of the diagnostic categories, the consistency of the investigator's diagnosis with the ICHD-II criteria was good (kappa > 0.6 and < or = 0.8) or excellent (kappa > 0.8). We conclude that migraine was predominant with regard to headache diagnoses repartition and that the ICHD-II seems usable in practice for evaluation of primary headache in French children and adolescents.

Post-Traumatic Headache: From Classification Challenges to Biological Underpinnings

The ICHD-II criteria for post-traumatic headache (PTH) are strictly outlined. PTH can be subdivided into an acute and a chronic forms, the former likely nociceptive in nature, the latter likely neuropathic. The time of transition between the acute and the chronic forms is artificial and in the future should be better based on clear clinical or rather biological data. Chronic PTH often presents as one of the primary headache syndromes, e.g. migraine or tension-type headache. Its biology is poorly understood and whether it merely represents the expression of the primary headache or it has a distinct pathogenesis remains unclear. The frontal lobe is often affected in traumatic head injury. Its dysfunction can cause an array of clinical consequences that have an impact on the patient's symptomatology and therapeutic outcome. Its recognition is likely to improve patient management quality.

ICHD-II Diagnostic Criteria for Tolosa—Hunt Syndrome in Idiopathic Inflammatory Syndromes of the Orbit and/or the Cavernous Sinus

A bibliographical search was conducted for papers published between 1999 and 2007 to verify the validity of International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD)-II criteria for the Tolosa-Hunt syndrome (THS) in terms of (i) the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); (ii) which steroid treatment should be considered as adequate; and (iii) the response to treatment. Of 536 articles, 48, reporting on 62 patients, met the inclusion criteria. MRI was positive in 92.1% of the cases and it normalized after clinical resolution. There was no evidence of which steroid schedule should be considered as adequate; high-dose steroids are likely to be more effective both to induce resolution and to avoid recurrences. Pain subsided within the time limit required by the ICHD-II criteria, but signs did not. We conclude that THS diagnostic criteria can be improved on the basis of currently available data. MRI should play a pivotal role both to diagnose and to follow-up THS.