Classic Migraine – Clinical Findings in 164 Patients

Abstract
Clinically the presence or absence of prodromes has always been regarded as the only distinctive feature differentiating classic migraine from common migraine. As a preliminary step for identifying any other distinctive clinical features peculiar to these 2 conditions, it is useful to review the clinical picture of classic migraine by investigating 164 patients (113 females and 51 males) aged 7-75 yr. The prodromal phase consisted of scintillating scotomas (with hemianopic distribution in over half of the cases) in 79.3%, of paresthesias mostly with cheiro-oral distribution in 29.9%, and of aphasic disturbances in 17.1%. When several neurological symptoms were present in the prodromal phase, their occurrence followed a regular sequence in time. The prodromes lasted < 30 min in 75.6% of the cases. Only in about half the patients was pain contralateral to the peripheral location of the prodrome. The headache was generally not severe and short lived.

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