A clinical study of migraines without aura in children: based on revised international headache society criteria

Seo, Bo Gil; Yoo, Myung Hwan; Shim, Jae Won; Shim, Jung Yeon; Jung, Hye Lim; Park, Moon Soo; Kim, Deok soo

Abstract

PURPOSE: Because migraine in children has different characteristics from that in adults, it is inappropriate to apply migraine criteria for adults to children. Recently, the International Headache Society(IHS) revised criteria regarding children's characteristics. Therefore, we reviewed the characteristics of childhood migraines without auras based on the revised criteria and compared the data with the findings of childhood migraine by the previous criteria.
METHODS
Among 102 children who visited the outpatient clinic of Kangbuk Samsung Hospital for the chief complaint of headache, we analyzed the clinical findings of 34 patients, who were diagnosed as migraine without aura, and probable migraine based on the revised criteria.
RESULTS
Migraines without aura were diagnosed in 27 patients(26.5 percent) and probable migraines were observed in seven patients(6.8 percent). The usual duration of headache attacks over 2 hours was observed in 12 patients(44.4 percent). On the contrary, 15 patients(55.6 percent) usually experienced headaches for one to two hours. According to the location of headaches, there were temporal areas in 14 cases, frontal areas in nine cases, occipital areas in two cases and diffuse areas in two cases. The striking point in probable migraines is that the length of headache was below one hour in five patients. Nine patients were diagnosed as migraine without aura, when the first edition criteria was applied to same patients.
CONCLUSION
We found that the prevalence of migraine without aura increased by the revision of IHS criteria. We hope that migraines in children will be diagnosed correctly by the new IHS criteria.