[Burden and management differences between migraine with and without aura in neurology clinics]

Migraine is one of the most important reason of neurological consultation in Spain.

The aim of the present study was to analyse the profile of the patient with migraine and investigate epidemiological, clinical and therapeutical differences between migraine with aura o without aura.

For three consecutive months all patients attending for the first time the Neurology clinics of the Health Service of Aragón, were given a specially designed questionnaire.

374 patients who met migraine diagnostic criteria were included. They were 10.7% of the all patients. The majority of the patients were women (70%). Patients with migraine without aura were 299 (79.9%). The average age was 33.6 +/- 15.1. The family doctor referred 87% of the patients. Further investigations were requested in 20% of the patients with migraine without aura and 49.3% with aura. Cerebral CT was performed in 5.6% of migraine without aura and in 38.6% of migraine with aura patients, MR in 0.6% of migraine without aura and in 6.6% of migraine with aura patients. Treatment was given to 73% of the migraine patients attending for the first time. Calcium antagonists (45.3%) were the most common used drugs.

Migraine generates a considerable demand for neurological consultations. There are significant differences in investigations requested, treatments and follow-ups of patients with migraine with o without aura.