Can Craniometry Play a Role in Cluster Headache Diagnosis? A Pilot Exploratory TC-3D Based Study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Medical Imaging
• Anthropometry

Background:

• Cranial and facial features in cluster headache (CH) patients have been historically understudied with inconsistent findings.
• Previous research on the "leonine face" in CH patients yielded limited and conflicting results.
• Investigating specific craniometric measurements may reveal reliable biomarkers for CH diagnosis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine if craniometric measurement abnormalities characterize male CH patients.
• To assess the potential of these measurements as diagnostic biomarkers for CH.
• To differentiate CH patients from healthy controls using quantitative facial and cranial data.

Main Methods:

• Brain CT scans were acquired for 24 male CH patients and 24 matched healthy controls (HC).
• Craniometric measurements, including frontal bone height and facial width, were systematically obtained.
• Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were employed to identify distinguishing features.

Main Results:

• Logistic regression identified frontal bone height and facial width as independent discriminators between CH patients and HC.
• An accuracy of 77% was achieved in distinguishing CH patients from controls based on these measurements.
• Optimal cutoff values were established: 11.50 cm for frontal bone height and 13.30 cm for facial width.

Conclusions:

• This study, utilizing a 3D CT approach, reveals abnormal craniometric measurements in CH patients compared to HC.
• Observed abnormalities are likely specific to CH, as differences in alcohol and smoking habits were absent.
• Craniometric evaluation via 3D CT presents a noninvasive, accurate method to support CH diagnosis, potentially reducing misdiagnosis and diagnostic delays.