Cephalalgia 1999 Dec;19 Suppl 25(2):11-6
Cervicogenic headache (CEH) is a neck-generatedheadache syndrome. Attacks may be similar to migraine (M) or tension-typeheadache (TTH). In order to test the accuracy of the IHS diagnostic criteriafor M and episodic TTH and of the criteria for CEH of Sjaastad et al., 33CEH, 65 M, and 29 TTH were evaluated according to the CEH criteria, and CEHpatients were tested for M and TTH according to the IHS criteria. Only 30%of the CEH patients met the criteria for M, 3% met the criteria for TTH,and 66% were neither M nor TTH. The mean number of criteria met, sex, age,and age of onset were also analysed, and the results indicate an inequalityamong these three headache types. The most important differentiating aspectswere the site and radiation of the pain, the temporal pattern, and the inductionof attacks from neck posture, movements, and/or digital pressure. CEH clearlydiffers from M and TTH. Existing criteria adequately distinguish the threeheadaches.