The Prevalence of Migraine in Children Diagnosed with Familial Mediterranean Fever.

PURPOSE

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of fever and serositis, caused by mutations in the gene. Inflammatory pathways associated with FMF are linked to increased proinflammatory cytokines, which may be related to primary headaches, including migraine. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of migraine and other primary headaches in FMF patients.

METHODS

In this retrospective study, the medical records of FMF patients were analyzed. Demographic data, gene mutations, and headache histories were collected. The frequency of migraine was compared among patients with these mutations, and statistical analyses were conducted.

RESULTS

The study included 148 FMF patients, comprising 56.1% females and 43.9% males, with a mean age of 11.3 ± 3.7 years. A family history of FMF was reported in 77.7% of patients, and 35.8% had a family history of migraine. Headaches were reported in 52.7% of patients: 24.3% non-specific, 15.5% tension-type, and 12.8% migraine. Of those with migraine, 8.1% had migraine with aura, and 4.7% without aura. Headaches were more frequently frontal in patients under 12 years of age and temporal in those aged ≥12 years ( = 0.011). The most common genetic mutations were M694V heterozygous and homozygous, with M694V and E148Q mutations linked to more frequent migraines, although not statistically significant.

CONCLUSION

FMF patients should be screened for primary headaches, particularly migraine. The high frequency of migraine observed in this study suggests that clinicians should particularly consider migraine as a diagnosis in headache episodes experienced by FMF patients.