Alay, HandanBilge, NurayCan, Fatma Kesmes2023-04-102023-04-1020201307-671Xhttp://doi.org/10.18678/dtfd.776731https://search.trdizin.gov.tr/yayin/detay/386555https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12684/11409Aim: Most of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients have respiratory symptoms;however, various neurological symptoms, such as headache, can be seen. Thepathophysiological mechanism of headache in COVID-19 is unknown completely. In ourstudy, we aimed to investigate the relationship between headache and inflammatory markersand disease severity in COVID-19 patients.Material and Methods: Two hundred and three hospitalized patients with a polymerase chainreaction (PCR)-confirmed COVID-19 diagnosis between 15 March and 01 June 2020 wereretrospectively investigated. A total of 62 patients with headache symptoms (n=31) andwithout headache symptoms (n=31), who were age and gender-matched, were included in thestudy. The demographic characteristics, inflammatory serum parameters,neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio (NLR), C-reactive protein (CRP)/albumin ratio (CAR),hospitalization times, and disease severity were determined.Results: Of the 203 COVID-19 patients, 36 (17.7%) had a headache, and it was the fourthmost common symptom. Headache accompanied other symptoms in all patients. Of thepatients with headache, 14 (45.2%) were female, 17 (54.8%) were male, and the mean age was37.74±16.65 years. In our COVID-19 patients, the neutrophil count, NLR, CRP, CAR weresignificantly higher, and hospital stay was longer in patients with headache than those withoutheadache (p=0.023, p=0.041, p=0.034, p=0,048 and p=0.049, respectively).Conclusion: As a result, the increased inflammatory response may play a role in thepathogenesis of headache in COVID-19 patients. Our study is the first study that evaluated therelationship between headache symptom and inflammation in COVID-19 patients. Furtherresearch is needed on this subject.en10.18678/dtfd.776731info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessArticle22S14450386555