Abstract
Forty cases of complicated migraine (c. m.) were analysed. The onset was before the
age of 16 years, in the majority, however, after the 10th year. In 20 patients the
first crisis of c. m. occurred in the absence of a previous history of migraine. 38
of the children had paresthesia during the crises, localized mostly to one hemisoma
or a part thereof, in 3 bilateral from the beginning. In the majority of these patients
the same hemisoma was always affected, the upper limb almost always. The preferred
localisation of paresthesia in the face were the mouth and/or the tongue. A progression
of paresthesia with a "march" of several minutes duration was frequent. In 5 children
a paresis occurred, mostly at the upper part of one hemisoma, in another 4 children
hemiplegia was present. In several cases signs of brainstem lesion occurred. Headache
was mostly localized on the opposite side to the neurological signs. Vomiting and
scotoma were frequent. In EEG done during the periods of crisis anomalies were demonstrated
in the majority of our patients with a predominance of diffuse or focal slowing. In
our patients there was a spontaneous tendency for c. m. to disappear upon reaching
adult age. None of our 25 patients who had a neurological examination at the last
check-up has shown residual deficits.
Key words
Migraine - complicated migraine - migraine accompagnée - hemiplegia in children -
child neurology
