The diagnosis of lupus headache was included in the SLEDAI-2K criteria. The topic of headache in systemic lupus erythematosus has subsequently been a subject for debate.
Criteria for lupus headache:
(1) severe, disabling and persistent headache
(2) may have features of a migraine headache
(3) does not respond to narcotic analgesics
It can have a significant negative impact on the patient's quality of life.
Arguments against the separate designation of lupus headache:
(1) its features are not distinctive to SLE
(2) its presence is not correlated with disease activity
(3) it is not included in the 1999 ACR definition of neuropsychiatric SLE
(4) it may be a catchall term for several headache disorders that are already defined
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