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The relationship between migraine and right-to-left shunt in children

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Abstract

Migraine is the most common headache in childhood, and there are some reports that suggest the relationship between migraine and right-to-left shunt. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency of right-to-left shunt in children with migraine with aura and compare it with children with migraine without aura, and in healthy children. In a cross-sectional case–control study, we assessed 20 children with migraine with aura, 20 migraine without aura and 20 healthy age, and gender-matched control group. We determined the frequency of right-to-left shunt by transcranial doppler with contrast and transthoracic echocardiography without contrast. The dopplers and echocardiograms were performed blindly by the same examiners during headache-free periods. The presence of right-to-left shunt was found in 13/20 patients with migraine with aura compared with five of 20 migraine without aura and four of 20 control subjects. The frequency of right-to-left shunt in migraine with aura was statistically different from the other two groups (P < 0.005). There was no association between right-to-left shunt and frequency of attacks, duration and intensity of attacks, uni/bilateral occurence, familial occurrence, gender and age of patients. Conclusion: our findings suggest possible association of migraine with aura and right-to-left shunt. It seems that right-to-left shunt does not influence the clinical features of migraine.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatric Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Kurupelit Kampusu, 55139, Samsun, Turkey

    Sevcan Sarısoy, Ömer Faruk Aydın, Hamit Özyürek & Haydar Ali Taşdemir

  2. Department of Pediatric Cardiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey

    Metin Sungur & Kemal Baysal

  3. Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey

    Ilkay Koray Bayrak

  4. Department of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Ondokuz Mayis University, Samsun, Turkey

    Servet Aker

Authors
  1. Sevcan Sarısoy
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  2. Ömer Faruk Aydın
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  3. Metin Sungur
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  4. Ilkay Koray Bayrak
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  5. Servet Aker
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  7. Haydar Ali Taşdemir
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  8. Kemal Baysal
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Correspondence to Ömer Faruk Aydın.

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Sarısoy, S., Aydın, Ö.F., Sungur, M. et al. The relationship between migraine and right-to-left shunt in children. Eur J Pediatr 170, 365–370 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-010-1303-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00431-010-1303-7

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