Diagnostic delay, lateralisation and changing demographics in a belgian monocentric cluster headache cohort: a retrospective study.

Cluster headache is a primary headache disorder characterised by severe headache attacks, which necessitates a prompt diagnosis and treatment. The objective of the present retrospective single centre cohort study was threefold: firstly, to assess the diagnostic delay after symptom onset and its evolution over time (1979–2024). Secondly, to investigate the male to female ratio over time. Thirdly, to study the lateralisation in patients with side-locked symptoms. The median diagnostic delay decreased progressively over time to less than a year in patients with a symptom onset after 2009. Secondly, the male to female ratio evolved from 5.3:1 to 2.6:1. Finally, a significant majority (58%) of patients with side-locked symptoms exhibited a right-sided predominance. In conclusion, our study demonstrated a clear improvement in diagnostic delay for cluster headache in Belgium while also revealing a shift in the male to female ratio and confirming a right-sided predominance in patients with side-locked symptoms.