This study aimed to analyze and classify the clinical features of
headache in neurological outpatients. A cross-sectional study was conducted consecutively from March to May 2010 for
headache among general neurological outpatients attending the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University. Personal interviews were carried out and a questionnaire was used to collect medical records. Diagnosis of
headache was according to the International classification of
headache disorders, 2nd edition (ICHD-II).
Headache patients accounted for 19.5% of the general neurology clinic outpatients. A total of 843 (50.1%) patients were defined as having primary
headache, 454 (27%) secondary
headache, and 386 (23%)
headache not otherwise specified (
headache NOS). For primary
headache, 401 (23.8%) had
migraine, 399 (23.7%)
tension-type headache (TTH), 8 (0.5%)
cluster headache and 35 (2.1%) other
headache types. Overall,
migraine patients suffered (1) more severe
headache intensity, (2) longer than 6 years of
headache history and (3) more common
analgesic medications use than TTH ones (p < 0.001).TTH patients had more frequent episodes of
headaches than
migraine patients, and typically
headache frequency exceeded 15 days/month (p < 0.001); 22.8% of primary
headache patients were defined as
chronic daily headache. Almost 20% of outpatient visits to the general neurology department were of
headache patients, predominantly primary
headache of
migraine and TTH. In outpatient
headaches, more attention should be given to
headache intensity and duration of
headache history for
migraine patients, while more attention to
headache frequency should be given for the TTH ones.