Clinical profile of headache and cranial neuralgias.
OBJECTIVE
The present study, first of its kind from Kashmir Valley, was conducted on 2982 patients to depict the pattern of various headache types and cranial neuralgias. Besides demographic parameters, various factors influencing the frequency of headaches and cranial neuralgias were also analysed.


METHODS
Patients presenting with the chief complaint of headache and facial pain were included in this study. The diagnosis of different headache types and cranial neuralgias were established after following the criteria as devised by the International Headache Society (1988).


RESULTS
Mean age at presentation for all headache types/cranial neuralgias was 24.5 years (range 7-74 years) with a male:female ratio of 2:1. Tension headache and migraine was found in 1988 (66.6%) and 407 (13.6%) cases respectively. Cranial neuralgias were observed in 20 (1%) cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Tension headache and migraine were the commonest forms of headache disorders. Militancy related stress and handicrafts profession were the main predisposing factors for tension and cervicogenic headaches respectively. Ramadan fasting was the prime precipitating factor for migraine.
Shah
P A
PA
Dept. of Medicine, Govt. Medical College, India.
Nafee
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D003389:Cranial Nerve Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005156:Facial Neuralgia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006261:Headache / Q000209:etiology*; D020773:Headache Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007194:India; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000209:etiology*