Red ear syndrome and migraine: report of eight cases

Abstract

We describe eight idiopathic cases of red ear syndrome in seven children and one adult. All were migraineurs with a history of paroxysmally painful and red ear, unilateral or alternating, in isolation or associated with migraine attacks. The reported duration of these episodes varied from 30 minutes to 1 hour. Neurologic examination, brain MRI and CT scans, and x-rays of the cervical spine were normal. The close temporal relationship between the "red ear episodes" and migraine attacks suggests an association between the two conditions.