Cluster headache (CH) is a debilitating primary headache syndrome with scarce literature regarding its epidemiology. As high readmission rates to hospitals can be costly, in terms of finances and resources, it is important to understand the factors associated with readmission so that they can be potentially addressed.

We identified 3,042 patients who were hospitalized for cluster headaches during the study period. 331 (10.9%) patients were readmitted within 30 days of discharge from index hospitalization (mean age 50.8 ± 14.2 years, 62.4% male). Readmitted patients were associated with higher rates of comorbidity index ≥3 (16.5% vs 4.4%), greater rates of discharge to another facility (5.0% vs 1.5%), greater mean length of stay (3.4 vs 2.7 days), and higher mean cost of hospitalization ($6,741 vs $6,061) compared to non-readmitted patients during index hospitalization. Comorbidities, such as malignancy (OR: 8.46, 95% CI:2.44-29.41, p=0.001) and diabetes (OR:2.64, 95% CI:1.45-4.79, p=0.002), and longer length of stay during index hospitalization (OR:1.23, 95% CI:1.14-1.33, p<0.001), were predictors of 30-day readmission.