A review of 50 cases of bath-related headache: clinical features and possible diagnostic criteria

ABSTRACT Objective: To describe clinical features and possible diagnostic criteria of the 50 bath-related headache (BRH) cases that have been published in the literature to date. Methods: Based on a literature search in the major medical databases, we analyzed all case reports or case series on BRH that were published between 2000 and 2017. Results: We describe 48 women and two men diagnosed with BRH. Of these 50 patients, 90% were from Asian countries. The average age was 49.3 years. There was an association of BRH with migraine (28%), tension-type headache (12%) and cold stimulus headache (4%). Headache was bilaterally localized, had an explosive or pulsating quality and a severe intensity. The pain lasted from five minutes to four days. Associated manifestations were nausea, vomiting, photophobia or phonophobia. There was a good therapeutic response with nimodipine and when avoiding a hot bath. Conclusions: Bath-related headache is a benign headache that is not associated with a structural lesion.

摘要 目的：描述截至目前已发表的50例与沐浴相关的头痛（bath-related headache, BRH）病例的临床特征及潜在诊断标准。方法：通过在主流医学数据库中开展文献检索，我们分析了2000年至2017年间发表的所有关于BRH的病例报告或病例系列研究。结果：本研究共纳入48例女性患者与2例男性BRH确诊病例，其中90%来自亚洲国家，患者平均年龄为49.3岁。BRH与偏头痛（28%）、紧张型头痛（12%）及冷刺激性头痛（4%）存在相关性。头痛呈双侧分布，性质为爆裂样或搏动样，程度剧烈；疼痛持续时间为5分钟至4天不等，伴随症状包括恶心、呕吐、畏光或畏声。尼莫地平治疗及避免热水沐浴均可取得良好的治疗效果。结论：与沐浴相关的头痛属于良性头痛，与结构性病变无关联。