Relationship Between Migraine and Patent Foramen Ovale: A Study of 121 Patients with Migraine

Abstract

Our findings suggest possible association of migraine with aura and PFO. It seems that PFO does not influence the type of aura and frequency of attacks of migraine as well as it is not associated with familial occurrence of migraine.

Sudden Deafness and Right-to-Left Shunts

“…Indeed, the mechanism of sudden deafness in patients with RLS remains unclear, but paradoxical embolism might provoke transient focal neurological symptoms by vasoconstriction and transient cerebral ischemia and secondary to vasospasm or cortical spreading depression, such as migraine [10]. Focusing on cerebral ischemia and acute hearing loss, the internal auditory artery (labyrinthine artery) supplies blood to both the cochlea and the vestibule.…”

The relationship between migraine and right-to-left shunt in children

“…A number of studies have suggested that individuals with migraine are more likely to have a PFO, and this association is most evident in those whose attacks of migraine may be accompanied by aura. Patent foramen ovale has a prevalence of 15-25% in the general population [11,17,25] and up to 60% in patients with migraine with aura in casecontrol studies [1,9,12,14,26]. Although the mechanism of attacks of migraine in patients with PFO is stil unclear, some studies have suggested the hypothesis of a potential association between PFO and migraine [1,9].…”

“…Control group 12/8 11.5 (6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15)(16)(17) patients with RLS tend to report Valsalva-provoking activities to trigger their headache attacks [30]. We also consider the Valsalva maneuver may suggest that opening of RLS acted as a trigger for migraine attack.…”

“…A positive TCD result will still need confirmation to determine whether a interatrial shunt/PFO, and not some other communication like a pulmonary arterio-venous malformation, is the site of the detected RLS [4]. RLSs at the level of interatrial region can be diagnosed when at least three microbubbles are detected in one vessel within 13 s after agitated saline injection in an Table 4 The clinical features of migraine in children with RLS and without RLS antecubital vein [12,19,23]. In our study, in order to detect RLS/PFO we performed both TCD and TTE during resting and Valsalva maneuver.…”

Atrial Septal Defect/Patent Foramen Ovale and Migraine Headache

“…A meta analysis of 7 studies in adult population with migraine headache and aura showed association of PFO in this particular population ranging from 41-62% (composite of 56% by meta-analysis) (23)(24)(25)(26)(27)(28)(29).…”