[Migraine in childhood: a trivial condition?]

Migraine is seen as being a trivial disease, and more so in childhood, but in many cases it has a detrimental effect on the patient's quality of life.

Prospective study. All the patients were evaluated by the same neuropaediatrician and all of them satisfied diagnostic criteria for migraine. 127 children were examined. The mean age was 9.4 years, with an interval of 3-14 years; there were no differences between sexes. 67 males and 60 females.

The mean length of time the episodes lasted was 22.5 h. The most frequently observed clinical features were: hemicranial localisation, 44.4%; throbbing, 74.4%; photophobia, 74.8%; phonophobia, 83.5%; nausea-vomiting, 63.5%; and aura, 14.3%; with predominance of acutely intense visual and sensory symptoms (74%), functional repercussions in 87% and absence from school in up to 36.9% of cases. 16% of patients have had episodes of status migrainous. At the time of the visit 46% had several attacks a week; 13.7% once a week; 16.1% fortnightly; 13.7 % monthly; 5.6% every three months; and others, 4.8%. 48.7% of the patients were given preventive treatment, which was wholly effective in 48%, partially effective in 35% and not at all effective in 15.4%.

Migraine in childhood is not a trivial pathology. It is disabling: it interferes with their daily life in 85% of cases, causes them to miss school in almost 40% of patients and nearly 50% of them have several episodes a week. A similar figure required prophylactic treatment that was seen to be very effective.