| Abstract | | The International Headache Society classification of headaches (1988), which introduced operational diagnostic criteria, represents a real breakthrough in the diagnosis of primary headaches; its validity and interobserver reliability are satisfactory. The prevalence of headache disorders is extraordinarily high, including almost all the population. The prevalence of tension-type headache is probably higher than 50 per cent, while that of migraine is about 10-12 per cent (6 per cent in male, 15-18 per cent in female). The prevalence of cluster headache has been poorly studied, although a reliable estimate could be that of 0.7 cases per thousand.
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