Related Experiment Videos
[Complicated migraine: a study of 7 cases]
S Arroyo1, J Sánchez-Portocarrero, S Barquero
1Servicio de Neurología, Hospital Clínico Universitario de San Carlos, Madrid.
Neurologia (Barcelona, Spain)
|April 1, 1990
Summary
Migraine is linked to stroke, particularly in younger adults. This review of seven cases suggests migraine can precede cerebral ischemic episodes, though mechanisms require further study.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Vascular Neurology
- Epidemiology
Context:
- The association between migraine and stroke is a recognized clinical phenomenon.
- Migraine is implicated in a significant percentage of strokes in individuals under 45.
- Understanding the specific features of this association is crucial for patient management.
Purpose:
- To evaluate the characteristics of the migraine-stroke association.
- To review cases of patients experiencing both migraine and neurological deficits.
- To investigate the clinical and diagnostic features in patients with migraine and stroke.
Summary:
- Seven cases of patients with a history of migraine and established neurological deficits were reviewed.
- Patients met criteria for migraine and a temporal link between migraine and ischemic events, excluding other causes.
- Evaluated migraine onset, type, family history, vascular risk factors, and neurological deficit characteristics.
- Diagnostic workup included neuroimaging (CT, MRI), EEG, echocardiogram, and serological tests; cerebral arteriography revealed arterial occlusion in one case.
Impact:
- This study highlights that migraine, despite its infrequent association with stroke, can precipitate cerebral ischemic episodes.
- The findings underscore the need for further research into the pathogenetic mechanisms linking migraine to stroke.
- Clinicians should consider migraine as a potential contributing factor in ischemic stroke, especially in younger populations.