Resumo

VAN VLIET, J.A. et al. Cefalea en racimos. Acta méd. costarric [online]. 2003, vol.45, n.3, pp.97-101. ISSN 0001-6002.

Cluster headache or Horton's neuralgia is a relatively infrequent form of headache, which presents as attacks. lt has bcen called suicide headache because of its severity. Because of its rarity, the diagnosis usually is delayed, especially since the physician is not present at the time of the attack. lt can be confused with sinusitis, migraine, or dental pathology. Consequently, the patient is treated incorrectly or the treatment is delayed. Nonetheless, cluster headache is easy to diagnose because of typical clinical features, and usually it is also easy to treat. lt is important to recognize this illness as soon as possible. General practitioners can play a vital role in its correct diagnosis.

Palavras-chave : Cefalea en racimos; neuralgia de Horton; triptan.