Table 1 Diagnostic criteria of cardiac cephalalgia

A. Any headache fulfilling criterion C

B. Acute myocardial ischemia has been demonstrated

C. Evidence of causation demonstrated by at least two of the following:

 1. headache has developed in temporal relation to the onset of acute myocardial ischemia

 2. either or both of the following:

  a) headache has significantly worsened in parallel with worsening of the myocardial ischemia

  b) headache has significantly improved or resolved in parallel with improvement in or resolution of the myocardial ischemia

 3. headache has at least two of the following four characteristics:

  a) moderate to severe intensity

  b) accompanied by nausea

  c) not accompanied by phototophia or phonophobia

  d) aggravated by exertion

 4. headache is relieved by nitroglycerine or derivatives of it

D. Not better accounted for by another ICHD-3 diagnosis