New daily persistent headache

New daily persistent headache
SpecialtyNeurology

New daily persistent headache (NDPH) is a primary headache syndrome which can mimic chronic migraine and chronic tension-type headache. The headache is daily and unremitting from very soon after onset (within 3 days at most), usually in a person who does not have a history of a primary headache disorder. The pain can be intermittent, but lasts more than 3 months. Headache onset is abrupt and people often remember the date, circumstance and, occasionally, the time of headache onset. One retrospective study stated that over 80% of patients could state the exact date their headache began.[1]

The cause of NDPH is unknown, and it may have more than one etiology. NDPH onset is commonly associated with an infection or flu-like illness, stressful life event, minor head trauma, and extra cranial surgery. Infection or flu-like illness and stressful life event are most often cited.[1] The pathophysiology of NDPH is poorly understood.

The syndrome is difficult to treat and may persist for years. The age of onset ranges from 6 to greater than 70 years old, with a mean of 35 years. It is found to be more common in females in both the adult and pediatric populations. NDPH is rare. The Akershus study of chronic headache, a population based cross sectional study of 30,000 persons aged 30–44 years in Norway, found a one-year prevalence of 0.03 percent in the population.[2]

In 1986, Vanast was the first author to describe the new daily-persistent headache (NDPH) as a benign form of chronic daily headache (CDH).[3] The criteria for the diagnosis of NDPH were proposed in 1994 (the Silberstein–Lipton criteria)[4] but not included in the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD) until 2004.

  1. ^ a b Li, D; Rozen, TD (2002). "The clinical characteristics of new daily persistent headache". Cephalalgia. 22 (1): 66–9. doi:10.1046/j.1468-2982.2002.00326.x. PMID 11993616. S2CID 22449935.
  2. ^ Grande, RB; Aaseth, K; Lundqvist, C; Russell, MB (2009). "Prevalence of new daily persistent headache in the general population. The Akershus study of chronic headache". Cephalalgia. 29 (11): 1149–55. doi:10.1111/j.1468-2982.2009.01842.x. PMID 19830882. S2CID 24240448.
  3. ^ Vanast, WJ (1986). "New daily persistent headaches: definition of a benign syndrome". Headache. 26: 317. doi:10.1111/j.1526-4610.1986.t01-1-.x. S2CID 221751811.
  4. ^ Silberstein, Stephen D.; Lipton, Richard B.; Solomon, Seymour; Mathew, Ninan T. (1994). "Classification of Daily and Near-Daily Headaches: Proposed Revisions to the IHS Criteria". Headache: The Journal of Head and Face Pain. 34 (1): 1–7. doi:10.1111/j.1526-4610.1994.hed3401001.x. PMID 8132434. S2CID 43292571.