Cefalea en racimos

Abstract

La cefalea en racimos (CR) o “neuralgia de Horton”, es un tipo relativamente raro de cefalea que se presenta en forma de ataques y cuya severidad le ha dado el nombre de “dolor de cabeza suicida”. Debido a que la CR es una patología bastante desconocida, el paciente puede tardar en ser diagnosticado, especialmente debido a que es raro que un médico lo atienda en el momento mismo del ataque. La CR suele ser confundida con sinusitis, migraña o patología dental. De ahí que los pacientes no reciban el tratamiento adecuado, o lo reciban demasiado tarde.

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