Epilepsy and migraine headache: is there a connection?

INTRODUCTION

This study investigated the prevalence of migraine headache in pediatric patients with epilepsy and the incidence of these two disorders in the family history.

METHOD

A retrospective chart review was conducted on 475 patients with a primary diagnosis of epilepsy between January 2003 and June 2004. The patients were managed in a pediatric neurology outpatient clinic at a major teaching hospital. Cases were selected using the ICD-9-CM definition for epilepsy. Data collected included age, sex, headache, migraine, and family history.

RESULTS

The study revealed a higher prevalence of migraine in epilepsy patients (14.7%) than in the general population (2.7% to 11%). Only 4.7% had a family history of migraine, but 20.6% had a positive family history of epilepsy, supporting current ideas of the genetic etiology of some epilepsies.

DISCUSSION

This study specifically addressed epilepsy and migraine in children, but whenever a primary diagnosis is made, the potential for a coexisting disorder should be investigated.