Glaucomatous visual field defects in patients with migraine

To investigate the visual fields in patients with migraine in terms of glaucomatous visual field defects.

Patients who attended our Neurology outpatient clinic complaining of headache and were diagnosed as migraine were enrolled in the study. Each patient was questioned for the frequency, side, localisation and severeness of the pain as well as the onset and the duration of the symptoms, the existence of aura, the description of the aura - if present -, additional systemic problems, and family history of migraine and glaucoma. Detailed ophthalmological examinations and computerised visual field (VF) analysis were then performed on each patient in our Ophthalmology Clinic. The findings of 77 patients (61 female, 16 male) were evaluated and statistical comparisons were carried out between the group of patients with glaucomatous-like VF defects and the group without significant defects.

VF tests revealed glaucomatous-like defects in 48 (62.3 %) patients. Intraocular pressure (IOP) levels were within normal limits in all cases. There were no statistically significant differences between the groups with and without VF defects in terms of sex, the localisation and severeness of pain, the existence and the description of aura, and family history of glaucoma, as well as the duration of migraine, IOP and cup/disc ratio. The glaucomatous group was significantly older, with a significantly higher age of onset for migraine. Risk of having glaucomatous-like defects was higher in patients who had migraine attacks once a month or less frequently. A tendency of pain and VF defects to develop ipsilaterally was noticed.

A possible relationship between the pathophysiology of migraine, visual field defects and glaucomatous optic neuropathy is emphasized and VF screening for normal tension glaucoma is recommended in patients with migraine.