Home Introduction Prefaces Introduction to the classification How to Use This Classification Subcommittees and working groups The Classification Table of contents Part I: The primary headaches Part II: The secondary headaches Part III: Cranial neuralgias, facial pain and other headaches Appendix Definition of Terms

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The International Headache Society (IHS) is the world's membership organisation for all whose professional commitment, whatever their discipline, is to helping people whose lives are affected by headache disorders.Visit the IHS website

Preface to IHS-ICHD-2 websitePreface to the First Revision of the Second EditionPreface to the Second EditionPreface to the First Edition (1988)

Preface to the First Edition (1988)

The present document represents a major effort. The work has been going on for almost three years, and has involved not only the committee members, but also the many members of the 12 subcommittees. The work in the committee and subcommittees has been open, so that all interim documents have been available to anybody expressing an interest. We have had a two-day meeting on headache classification in March 1987 open to everybody interested. At the end of the Third International Headache Congress in Florence September 1987 we had a public meeting where the classification was presented and discussed. A final public meeting was held in San Diego, USA February 20 and 21, 1988 as a combined working session for the committee and the audience.

Despite all effort, mistakes have inevitably been made. They will appear when the classification is being used and will have to be corrected in future editions. It should also be pointed out that many parts of the document are based on the experience of the experts of the committees in the absence of sufficient published evidence. It is expected however that the existence of the operational diagnostic criteria published in this book will generate increased nosographic and epidemiologic research activity in the years to come.

We ask all scientists who study headache to take an active part in the testing and further development of the classification. Please send opinions, arguments and reprints to the chairman of the classification committee. It is planned to publish the second edition of the classification in 1993. Hopefully the revision will be based on new evidence.

The International Headache Society considers classification and diagnostic criteria for headache disorders to be a very important issue. Although the document needs further testing and modification, it is recommended to put it into immediate use in scientific studies. This pertains not only to drug trials, but also to biochemical and physiological studies.

James W Lance
President
International Headache Society

Jes Olesen
Chairman
Headache Classification Committee

Sitemap

Consult the Sitemap to learn more about the structure of the classification and its main chapters.

IHS vs. ICD-10

To facilitate headache diagnosis in daily practice, the classification provides the corresponding WHO ICD-10NA codes for each IHS code.

IHS Subcommittee

The Classification Subcommittee prepares and revises the International Classification of Headache Disorders.

Downloads

Extend your electronic library with important IHS publications. All documents may be downloaded free of charge.

Cephalalgia

Cephalalgia is the official journal of the IHS. It contains original papers on all aspects of headache. The journal provides an international forum for original research papers, review articles and short communications.www.cephalalgia.org

IHS Discussion Group

Ask questions and share information about the 2nd edition of the Headache Classification in one of our peer-to-peer forums. To the Discussion Group

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