Internal Ophthalmoplegic Migraine During Pregnancy: A Clinical Case.

BACKGROUND

Ophthalmoplegic migraine (OM) is an uncommon variant of migraine characterised by headache and cranial nerve palsy, posing significant diagnostic and therapeutic challenges.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to describe an extremely rare OM variant with a partial therapeutic response.

CLINICAL CASE

A 34-year-old pregnant woman in gestational week 19.1 (G6P2A3) with a history of three consecutive spontaneous abortions presented at the emergency services with insidious onset and mild-to-moderate-intensity pulsatile bifrontal headache for 15 days, and the positional changes exacerbated this. At peak intensity, she experienced nausea, vomiting, tinnitus, and photophobia without phonophobia or osmophobia, prompting multiple visits to the emergency department. Despite a broad range of treatments, including intravenous fluids, analgesia, pericranial blocks, and preventive management, there was a non-significative improvement in the symptomatology described above. However, spontaneous resolution of this clinical picture was observed during the postpartum period.

RESULTS

This case highlights the complexity of ophthalmoplegic migraine, especially in the context of pregnancy, and raises questions about the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms. The absence of structural lesions on neuroimaging and postpartum resolution suggests a potential association with the hormonal and physiological changes associated with pregnancy.

CONCLUSIONS

Despite limited scientific evidence, this report contributes to expanding the knowledge of this rare entity and emphasises the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to its management.