title: Headache: pattern and features as experienced in a neurology clinic in Tanzania.
abstract: Patients with recurrent headaches accounted for 319 (20.6%) of all new referrals to the neurology clinic over a two-year period. Of these, 47 (34%) had migraine, 38 (27%) psychogenic disorders (non-migrainous) and 18 (13%) post traumatic headache. Others included 16 (11%) vascular-muscular contraction, 11 (8%) muscular contraction and 9 (7%) were miscellaneous. Recurrent headache was found commonly in young patients of both sexes. However, migraine was more common in females. Common migraine was about 4 times as frequent as classical migraine. Headache due to psychogenic disorders was part of a symptom complex of anxiety states in 17% and 8% neurotic depression. Over two thirds of patients experienced severe headaches. This was common in the younger age group. Whereas a half of the patients experienced warning symptoms, over two thirds had precipitating factors. About a third of patients with migraine and psychogenic disorders associated witchcraft with their headaches while a half of those with psychogenic disorders expressed fear of having a brain tumour.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Unit, Muhimbili Medical Centre, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.
authors.forename: W B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Matuja
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000145:classification / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology; D006757:Hospital Units; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009462:Neurology; D015985:Precipitating Factors; D012008:Recurrence; D012017:Referral and Consultation; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013636:Tanzania / Q000453:epidemiology