Ischemic stroke and migraine in childhood: coincidence or causal relation?

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3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache
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3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache

Published on: June 2, 2014

F Ebinger1, R Boor, J Gawehn

  • 1Children's Hospital, Mainz, Germany. friedrich_ebinger@ukl.uni-heidelberg.de

Journal of Child Neurology
|November 26, 1999
PubMed

Insights

Migraine can cause cerebral infarction (stroke) in children, a condition known as migrainous stroke. Current diagnostic criteria may be too strict for identifying this in pediatric patients.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pediatrics
  • Cerebrovascular Diseases

Background:

  • Migraine is a recognized cause of cerebral infarction in adults.
  • The association between migraine and stroke is less understood in pediatric populations.

Observation:

  • The study presents two pediatric cases of cerebral infarction associated with migraine.
  • Neither case fully met the International Headache Society's diagnostic criteria for migrainous infarction.

Findings:

  • The International Headache Society's diagnostic criteria for migrainous infarction may be too restrictive for children.
  • Existing literature suggests these criteria may exclude many childhood cases of migraine-associated stroke.

Implications:

  • Pediatric neurological assessments should consider migraine as a potential cause of stroke.
  • Diagnostic criteria for migrainous infarction may require revision to better include pediatric cases.
  • Further research is needed to refine the diagnosis of migrainous stroke in children.

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