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Updated: Oct 17, 2025
10:39
3D-Neuronavigation In Vivo Through a Patient's Brain During a Spontaneous Migraine Headache
Published on: June 2, 2014
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Visual Phenomena Associated With Migraine and Their Differential Diagnosis
Ozan E Eren1, Helmut Wilhelm, Christoph J Schankin
1Department of Neurology, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Munich, Germany; Department of Neurology, Inselspital, University Hospital Bern, Switzerland; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Tübingen.
Deutsches Arzteblatt International
|October 12, 2021
Summary
Differentiating visual phenomena from migraine aura is crucial for correct diagnosis. Key questions about symptom presentation and history help distinguish various conditions, ensuring appropriate patient management.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Ophthalmology
Background:
- Visual phenomena encompass diverse conditions requiring careful diagnosis.
- Distinguishing these from migraine aura is a common clinical challenge.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review common visual phenomena and their differential diagnosis.
- To highlight key features distinguishing them from migraine aura.
Main Methods:
- Literature search of PubMed and Web of Knowledge/Science.
- Focused on International Headache Society classification and German Migraine and Headache Society recommendations.
- Utilized search terms: "visual phenomena," "migraine aura," and "persistent/complication/long-lasting/ongoing."
Main Results:
- History-taking is key, focusing on unilateral vs. bilateral presentation, onset speed, and recurrence.
- Migraine aura must be differentiated from epileptic aura, ischemia, visual snow, Hallucinogen Persisting Perception Disorder (HPPD), Charles Bonnet Syndrome (CBS), and Posterior Reversible Encephalopathy Syndrome (PRES).
- Ophthalmological causes are typically identified through examination.
Conclusions:
- Accurate differential diagnosis of visual phenomena relies on a thorough patient history.
- Physicians across specialties must consider the broader clinical context to identify the responsible disease entity.
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