title: Cluster headache in childhood: case series from a pediatric headache center.
abstract: Childhood-onset cluster headache is an excruciatingly painful and distressing condition. A retrospective study was conducted on charts of patients referring to our Headache Center. Those diagnosed as cluster headache were selected. We identified 11 children (6 males and 5 females). The mean age of cluster headache onset was 10 years (range: 5-16). All children had episodic cluster headache. All children had unilateral orbital pain; 7 patients had throbbing pain, whereas 4 children complained stabbing pain. The mean duration of the attack was 86 minutes (ranging from 30 to 180 minutes). The frequency of episodes was between 1 and 4 per day. All children had the typical cluster headache autonomic features, such as lacrimation, conjunctival injection, ptosis, and nostril rhinorrhea. Steroids showed a good clinical efficacy in interrupting cluster headache recurrence. As symptomatic drugs, acetaminophen as well as ibuprofen were ineffective; indomethacin was effective in 1 case.
authors: 1Headache Centre, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
authors: Rosanna
authors: R
authors: Mariani
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Capuano
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Torriero
authors: Samuela
authors: S
authors: Tarantino
authors: Enrico
authors: E
authors: Properzi
authors: Federico
authors: F
authors: Vigevano
authors: Massimiliano
authors: M
authors: Valeriani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003027:Cluster Headache / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: autonomic; autonomic features; cluster headache; lacrimation; pain; ptosis; rhinorrhea