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Treatment of Cluster Headache and Other Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgias

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Handbook of Headache

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Abstract

Cluster headache is one of a group of primary headache disorders (trigeminal autonomic cephalalgias) of uncertain mechanism that are characterized by frequently recurring, short-lasting but extremely severe headache. Involvement of the suprachiasmatic nucleus of the hypothalamus, the biological clock, has been correlated to clinical features and abnormalities of circadian rhythm seen in cluster headaches. It probably affects about 1/1,000 adults with characteristically recognizable features at ratio of 5:1 in men to women.

Symptomatic acute treatments include triptans and inhalational oxygen. A wide range of preventative medication is considered depending on the length of cluster attacks, not by whether the patient has episodic or chronic form. Refractory drug-resistant chronic cluster headache is the unique form eligible for surgical choices.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Danish Headache Centre and Department of Neurology, Glostrup Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Nordre Ringvej, DK-2600, Glostrup, Copenhagen, Denmark

    Dr. Peer Carsten Tfelt-Hansen

  2. Department of Internal Medicine, Saudi Aramco, Dhahran Health Center, P.O.Box 12434, 31311, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia

    Dr. Shireen Qureshi

  3. Department of Medical and Molecular Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Vitorchiano, 81, 00189, Rome, Italy

    Prof. Paolo Martelletti

Authors
  1. Dr. Peer Carsten Tfelt-Hansen
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  2. Dr. Shireen Qureshi
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  3. Prof. Paolo Martelletti
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Peer Carsten Tfelt-Hansen .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical and Molecular Sciences, School of Health Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Paolo Martelletti

  2. Department of Neuroscience, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway

    Timothy J. Steiner

  3. Department of Neuroscience, Faculty of Medicine, Imperial College London, London, UK

    Timothy J. Steiner

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© 2011 Lifting The Burden

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Tfelt-Hansen, P.C., Qureshi, S., Martelletti, P. (2011). Treatment of Cluster Headache and Other Trigeminal Autonomic Cephalalgias. In: Martelletti, P., Steiner, T.J. (eds) Handbook of Headache. Springer, Milano. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-1700-9_25

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-88-470-1700-9_25

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Milano

  • Print ISBN: 978-88-470-1699-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-88-470-1700-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineReference Module Medicine

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