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Published on: August 11, 2021
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Retinal Migraine: Evaluation and Management
Monica E Maher1, William Kingston2,3,4
1Division of Neurology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports
|May 11, 2021
Summary
Retinal migraine is a rare condition affecting women more than men, causing temporary vision loss and headache. It is diagnosed by exclusion and may respond to standard migraine treatments.
Area of Science:
- Ophthalmology
- Neurology
Background:
- Retinal migraine is an uncommon migraine variant.
- It is poorly understood with limited case reports.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the literature and case reports on retinal migraine over the past 15 years.
- To summarize current understanding of this rare condition.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of case reports and studies on retinal migraine.
- Analysis of patient demographics, symptoms, pathophysiology, and treatment responses.
Main Results:
- Only 12 cases of retinal migraine were reported in the last 15 years.
- Retinal migraine predominantly affects women and is associated with unilateral headache ipsilateral to vision loss.
- Potential pathophysiology involves retinal vessel vasoconstriction.
- It is a diagnosis of exclusion, requiring thorough investigation to rule out other causes of monocular vision loss.
Conclusions:
- Retinal migraine is a rare diagnosis of exclusion.
- Patients may benefit from standard migraine abortive and prophylactic therapies.
