title: Characteristics of primary stabbing headache in a tertiary neurological clinic in China.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical characteristics of primary stabbing headache (PSH) and its prevalence in a neurology outpatient center at a university hospital in China.
  
  
  METHODS
  We surveyed patients via face-to-face interviews by physicians using a questionnaire for headache.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of 1,219 participating patients with headache, 18 (1.5%) were diagnosed with PSH. The mean age was 44.1 ± 15.5 years. The headaches were localized to a single fixed area in 61.1% of patients. The frontal cerebral regions were reported as most common areas. Fourteen patients (77.8%) suffered from moderate to severe intensity headache with a mean score of 4.3 ± 1.9 on an 11-point pain scale. Of the patients, 27.8% had accompanying symptoms with photophobia/phonophobia as the most common complaint(s). Fifty percent of patients reported trigger factors, with weather change noted as a common trigger.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PSH was shown to have an onset at middle age with moderate-to-severe intensity attacks localized predominantly within the first division of the trigeminal nerve. Accompanying phenomena and trigger factors were common and should be noted, implying further research to be conducted.
authors: Department of Neurology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China.
authors: Xiping
authors: X
authors: Liang
authors: Guomin
authors: G
authors: Ying
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: Tristan R
authors: TR
authors: Zhang
authors: Zhen
authors: Z
authors: Huang
authors: Jiying
authors: J
authors: Zhou
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002681:China / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D051270:Headache Disorders, Primary / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009462:Neurology; D010044:Outpatient Clinics, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000379:methods*; D020795:Photophobia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D062606:Tertiary Care Centers / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D014276:Trigeminal Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D014887:Weather
keywords: Accompanying Phenomena; Neurological Clinic-Based; Primary Stabbing Headache; Trigger Factors