TREATMENT IN CHRONIC CASES OF CLUSTER HEADACHE: A LITERATURE REVIEW

Abstract

The excruciating pain that characterizes cluster headache negatively impacts the daily lives of patients affected by this disease, reducing their well-being. In chronic cases, it is even more difficult to find an effective long-term therapy that alleviates symptoms. This article sought to discuss existing treatments for chronic cases of cluster headache. To this end, an integrative literature review was conducted in March 2025 through the National Library of Medicine (Pubmed) and BVS databases. The descriptors “cluster headache”, “treatment” and “chronic” and the Boolean operator “AND” were used, with the inclusion criteria being complete review articles, in English and German, published between 2017 and 2025. Studies that did not address the topic directly or indirectly, duplicate studies and paid articles were considered as exclusion criteria. In total, 18 articles were selected for analysis. There are several treatment options for cluster headaches, with emphasis on the use of galcanezumab, which has shown positive results and few adverse effects; and stimulation of the sphenopalatine ganglion, which has shown to be a safe and long-lasting therapy, being minimally invasive and reversible. However, the effectiveness of these therapies is reduced in chronic cases. In short, more clinical trials are needed to test new techniques and medications taking into account the chronicity of the disease, in order to cover the proportion of patients who suffer from this condition.