Headaches in the different phases of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis: a tendency for stabbing headaches during...

Primary headaches are known to be associated with multiple sclerosis. We aimed to determine headaches using ICHD-II in different phases of relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, and the correlation between headaches and several features of the disease.

Migraine (41.2%) and tension-type headaches (20.6%) were the most common headaches in remission, and primary stabbing headache (PSH) (27.8%) was common in the relapsing phase. Although headaches seemed to occur independently of disease duration, extended disability status scale, beck depression inventory scores, and treatments, the total number of headaches was correlated with periventricular lesions (P = 0.03) and tension-type headaches were correlated with spinal lesions in remission (P = 0.02). Total number of headaches was correlated with brain stem lesions in the relapsing phase (P = 0.05).

The high frequency of PSHs in relapse was notable, and, to the best of our knowledge, PSH was not reported in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis before. Further studies with larger samples are recommended.