A retrospective study of patients with cluster headaches

Referred pain in the midface and teeth is a common clinical feature of the cluster headache and cluster headache-like disorders. It is not unusual therefore for patients with cluster headaches to go to the dentist. In this report, 33 cases of cluster headache, which met the International Headache Society classification criteria, and which were seen by us during a 2-year period, are reviewed. Fourteen (42%) of 33 patients who were seen by dental practitioners and who received some form of ineffective dental or pharmacologic treatment are described here. Since almost 50% of the cluster headache patients described here received inappropriate dental treatment, it is hoped that this review and retrospective assessment will make the dental practitioner aware of this disorder and provide a broader perspective in the treatment of pain in the orofacial region. Clinical presentation, pathogenesis, and treatment of cluster headaches are discussed.