Osmophobia in primary headaches

• Published in: Journal of headache and pain Vol. 6; no. 4; pp. 213 - 215
• Main Authors: Zanchin, Giorgio, Dainese, Filippo, Mainardi, Federico, Mampreso, Edoardo, Perin, Chiara, Maggioni, Ferdinando
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Springer Nature B.V 01.09.2005; Springer-Verlag
• Subjects: Adult; Cluster Headache - complications; Female; Headache Disorders, Primary - complications; Headaches; Humans; Ichd—II Evaluation and Proposals; Male; Medical diagnosis; Middle Aged; Migraine; Migraine with Aura - complications; Migraine without Aura - complications; Neurology; Odorants; Odors; Olfaction Disorders - etiology; Phobic Disorders - etiology; Tension-Type Headache - complications
• ISSN: 1129-2369; 1129-2377
• DOI: 10.1007/s10194-005-0188-8

This study evaluates osmophobia (defined as an unpleasant perception, during a headache attack, of odours that are non-aversive or even pleasurable outside the attacks) in connection with the diagnosis of primary headaches. We recruited 775 patients from our Headache Centre (566 females, 209 males; age 38+/-12 years), of whom 477 were migraineurs without aura (MO), 92 with aura (MA), 135 had episodic tension-type headache (ETTH), 44 episodic cluster headache (ECH), 2 chronic paroxysmal hemicrania (CPH) and 25 other primary headaches (OPHs: 12 primary stabbing headaches, 2 primary cough headaches, 3 primary exertional headaches, 2 primary headaches associated with sexual activity, 3 hypnic headaches, 2 primary thunderclap headaches and 1 hemicrania continua). Among them, 43% with MO (205/477), 39% with MA (36/92), and 7% with CH (3/44) reported osmophobia during the attacks; none of the 135 ETTH and 25 OPH patients suffered this symptom. We conclude that osmophobia is a very specific marker to discriminate adequately between migraine (MO and MA) and ETTH; moreover, from this limited series it seems to be a good discriminant also for OPHs, and for CH patients not sharing neurovegetative symptoms with migraine. Therefore, osmophobia should be considered a good candidate as a new criterion for the diagnosis of migraine.