Abstract
This systematic review summarizes the clinical manifestations and the existing knowledge about the treatment of the most frequent primary headaches - migraine, tension type headache and cluster headache. The acute treatment of migraine attacks consists in the use of simple analgesics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, ergotamines and triptans.
Patients with frequent or long lasting attacks require the prophylactic treatment. So far beta-blockers, antiepileptic drugs, calcium channel blockers and antidepressants are used.
Injections of onabotulinumtoxin A reduce the frequency of attacks in chronic migraine. The most promising new approach in the prophylactic treatment are monoclonal antibodies able to block either CGRP or its receptor, such as erenumab, fremanezumab, galcanezumab, and eptinezumab.
Tension type headache is the most frequent type of headache. The treatment of acute attacks and prophylactic treatment in frequent episodic and chronic forms are described.
Cluster headache (CH) is a primary headache from the TACs group. The clinical manifestation and the existing knowledge about the acute, bridging and prophylactic treatment are described.