Which statement about episodic cluster headaches is true?

Which statement about episodic cluster headaches is true?

• A. They are chronic with no remission.
• B. They are the rarest form.
• C. Episodic cluster headaches are the most common form.
• D. They occur only during the day.

Answer: (C)

Episodic cluster headaches are characterized by bursts of headache attacks that occur in clusters, with long remission periods between clusters. This pattern—periods of attacks followed by symptom-free intervals—is why this form is the most common presentation of cluster headaches. The statement aligns with what clinicians see in practice: many patients experience distinct cluster periods with breaks in between. The other descriptors don’t fit because chronic cluster headaches involve ongoing attacks with little or no remission, not episodic remission periods; the idea of episodic being the rarest form contradicts epidemiology, since episodic is the more frequent form; and cluster headaches often strike at night and can wake patients from sleep, so they are not limited to daytime occurrences.

Episodic cluster headaches are characterized by bursts of headache attacks that occur in clusters, with long remission periods between clusters. This pattern—periods of attacks followed by symptom-free intervals—is why this form is the most common presentation of cluster headaches. The statement aligns with what clinicians see in practice: many patients experience distinct cluster periods with breaks in between.

The other descriptors don’t fit because chronic cluster headaches involve ongoing attacks with little or no remission, not episodic remission periods; the idea of episodic being the rarest form contradicts epidemiology, since episodic is the more frequent form; and cluster headaches often strike at night and can wake patients from sleep, so they are not limited to daytime occurrences.