[Patients with cluster headache in a neurological department]

Cluster headache is a devastating disorder which needs intensive drug treatment in the cluster periods.

All patients hospitalised for cluster headache (n = 37) at the Department of Neurology, Haukeland University Hospital 1988-1998 were studied. Data were retrieved from patient files and all patients were asked to fill in a postal questionnaire, which were returned by 27 (73%).

Median age was 47 years, range 22-78 years. 28 patients were male. Ten of the patients had chronic cluster headache, all men. 20 out of 27 patients who answered the questionnaire used sumatriptan for acute attacks, 15 of them as subcutaneous injection. 17 patients had tried oxygen inhalation during an attack. Ten of the patients had tried prednisone as prophylactic treatment during a cluster, half of them with effect. Only two patients had tried verapamil and four had tried lithium. None of the patients had ever used valproate as drug prophylaxis. 18 of the patients smoked more than five cigarettes per day.

The treatment of cluster headache patients is at present suboptimal, both regarding symptomatic and prophylactic drugs.