Epicranial headache part 1: Primary stabbing headache

Background/objective Primary stabbing headache is a common but under-recognized primary headache disorder. The objectives of this review were to provide practical information for better understanding and identification of the disease, suggest an algorithm for differential diagnosis, and provide an insight into the pathophysiology of primary stabbing headache hypothesized from its clinical course. Methods This narrative review of primary stabbing headache is based on a literature search and the authors’ clinical reasoning. Result The phenotype of each stab is typically abrupt, ultrashort-lasting (