Migraine coma. Meningitic migraine with cerebral oedema associated with a new form of autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia.

A family with hemiplegic migraine has been documented for a period of over forty years. From this study and the literature we conclude that (1) migraine is a cause of recurrent coma which may be associated with life-threatening cerebral hemisphere oedema; (2) hyperpyrexia with CSF pleocytosis occurs in hemiplegic migraine, which may thus simulate viral meningoencephalitis; and (3) cerebral angiography is hazardous in hemiplegic migraine and may exacerbate coma and cerebral oedema. In the family reported, cerebellar ataxia was present during recovery from attacks of hemiplegic migraine and affected patients ultimately suffered from persistent ataxia with radiological cerebellar atrophy. This syndrome thus constitutes a distinct form of late-onset autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia and also of familial periodic ataxia. The status of 'cerebellar migraine' is reviewed.