Persistent headache and chronic daily headache after COVID-19: a prospective cohort study.

Background: Little is known about the frequency and impact of the persistent headache and about the incidence of chronic daily headache (CDH) after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this prospective cohort study was to assess the incidence, risk factors, characteristics, and impact of CDH in patients with COVID-19. Methods: In the first stage, 288 patients were interviewed by telephone after the acute phase of COVID-19. Subsequently, 199 patients who presented headache were reinterviewed at least one year after COVID-19. Headaches that persisted beyond the acute phase of COVID-19 for three or more months and presented frequency ≥ 45 days over the first three months were considered to be CDH. Results: One hundred and twenty-three patients were included, 56% were females; median age: 50 years (25th and 75th percentile: 41;58). The headache persisted beyond the acute phase of COVID-19 in 52%, and 20.3% had CDH (95% confidence interval: 13.6-28.2). Individuals who previously had headaches and who had headaches of greater intensity during the acute phase were at higher risk of developing CDH. The group with CDH included more females, greater impact of headache, more persistence of headache beyond the 120th day of COVID-19 and less throbbing headache than did the other individuals whose headache persisted. Conclusions: Patients who had COVID-19 had a high incidence of CDH. Previous headache and greater intensity of headache were associated with higher risk of CDH.

New daily persistent headache after SARS-CoV-2 infection in Latin America: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Persistent headache is a frequent symptom after coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and there is currently limited knowledge about its clinical spectrum and predisposing factors. A subset of patients may be experiencing new daily persistent headache (NDPH) after COVID-19, which is among the most treatment-refractory primary headache syndromes. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional study in Latin America to characterize individuals with persistent headache after severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and to identify factors associated with NDPH. Participants over 18 years old who tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection and reported persistent headache among their symptoms completed an online survey that included demographics, past medical history, persistent headache clinical characteristics, and COVID-19 vaccination status. Based on participants' responses, NDPH diagnostic criteria were used to group participants into NDPH and non-NDPH groups. Participant data was summarized by descriptive statistics. Student's t and Mann-Whitney U tests were used according to the distribution of quantitative variables. For categorical variables, Pearson's chi-square and Fisher's exact tests were used according to the size of expected frequencies. Binomial logistic regression using the backward stepwise selection method was performed to identify factors associated with NDPH. RESULTS: Four hundred and twenty-one participants from 11 Latin American countries met the inclusion criteria. One in four participants met the NDPH diagnostic criteria. The mean age was 40 years, with most participants being female (82%). Over 90% of the participants reported having had mild/moderate COVID-19. Most participants had a history of headache before developing COVID-19 (58%), mainly migraine type (32%). The most predominant clinical characteristics in the NDPH group were occipital location, severe/unbearable intensity, burning character, and radiating pain (p < 0.05). A higher proportion of anxiety symptoms, sleep problems, myalgia, mental fog, paresthesia, nausea, sweating of the face or forehead, and ageusia or hypogeusia as concomitant symptoms were reported in participants with NDPH (p < 0.05). Palpebral edema as a concomitant symptom during the acute phase of COVID-19, occipital location, and burning character of the headache were risk factors associated with NDPH. CONCLUSION: This is the first study in Latin America that explored the clinical spectrum of NDPH after SARS-CoV-2 infection and its associated factors. Clinical evaluation of COVID-19 patients presenting with persistent headache should take into consideration NDPH.

Patients with sudden onset headache not meeting the criteria of the International Headache Society for new daily persistent headache. How to classify them? / Pacientes com cefaleia persistente e diária desde o início que não preenchem os critérios da International Headache Society. Como classificá-los?

We conducted a retrospective analysis of the records of 1348 patients regularly treated at the headache clinic of Department of Neurology of Santa Casa de São Paulo, Brazil. Sixty-two patients reported history of daily and persistent headache. From the 62 patients selected, only 21 (group 1) could be diagnosed with new daily-persistent headache (NDPH) according to the International Headache Society (HIS) 2004 criteria. The 41 remaining patients (group 2) could not be diagnosed with NDPH according to IHS-2004 once they presented two or more migraine attack-related symptoms, such as: nausea, photophobia, phonophobia and vomiting, in different combinations. It was not possible to classify them in groups 1 to 4 of primary headaches either. How to classify them? We suggest that the criteria are revised. And one way we can classify them, would be the subdivision: NDPH with migraine features and without migraine features that would allow the inclusion of all individuals present who has a daily and persistent headache from the beginning.

Realizamos uma análise retrospectiva do prontuário de 1348 pacientes acompanhados no ambulatório de Cefaleia do Departamento de Neurologia da Santa Casa de São Paulo, Brasil. Sessenta e dois pacientes relataram história de cefaleia persistente e diária (NDPH) desde o início. Destes, apenas 21 (grupo 1) puderam ser diagnosticados com NDPH de acordo com os critérios da Sociedade Internacional de Cefaleia 2004. Os 41 pacientes restantes (grupo 2) não puderam ser diagnosticados como NDPH, uma vez que apresentaram dois ou mais sintomas relacionados a cefaleia do tipo enxaqueca, tais como: náuseas, fotofobia, fonofobia e vômitos, em diferentes combinações. Não foi possível, também, classificá-los entre os grupos de 1 a 4 das cefaleias primárias. Como classificá-los? Sugerimos que os critérios sejam revistos. E uma maneira de podermos classificá-los seria a subdivisão da NDPH em: com características de enxaqueca e sem características de enxaqueca. Isso permitiria a inclusão de todos os indivíduos portadores de uma cefaleia diária e persistente desde o início.