title: Clinical features of cluster headache: an outpatient clinic study from China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of cluster headache (CH) in a neurology outpatient population in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey was conducted from June to December 2011 in a tertiary care, university-affiliated hospital. All consecutive patients citing headache as their chief complaint were asked to participate in a face-to-face interview with a qualified headache specialist and to complete a detailed self-administered questionnaire. The diagnosis of CH was made according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, Second Edition (ICHD-II).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1,526 headache patients screened, 26 were diagnosed with CH (6 women, 20 men). Mean age at onset was 27 ± 8 years (range, 17-47), and 50% of patients were 20-30 years of age. Of the 26 CH patients, 61.5% reported that pain was usually centered at the right temporal region, and 69.2% characterized the pain as swelling. Attacks lasted 87 minutes on average and were associated with cranial autonomic symptoms (100%). A seasonal predilection was reported by 69.2% of CH patients. No patient reported significant changes in pain severity after physical activity. Tobacco use was common (14/26 patients), and alcohol was the most frequently cited trigger.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study details the clinical features of CH in a neurology outpatient population in China. Compared with Western studies, our patients were different in several aspects including the absence of chronic CH.
authors: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Qianyun
authors: Q
authors: Xie
authors: Qingqing
authors: Q
authors: Huang
authors: Jing
authors: J
authors: Wang
authors: Nan
authors: N
authors: Li
authors: Ge
authors: G
authors: Tan
authors: Jiying
authors: J
authors: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D000553:Ambulatory Care / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D003027:Cluster Headache / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010045:Outpatients / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D012621:Seasons; D012907:Smoking / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult