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Review
. 2016 May;18(2):146-56.
doi: 10.5853/jos.2015.01683. Epub 2016 May 31.

The Migraine-Stroke Connection

Mi Ji Lee  1   2 , Chungbin Lee  1 , Chin-Sang Chung  1   2
Affiliations
Review

The Migraine-Stroke Connection

Mi Ji Lee et al. J Stroke. 2016 May.

Abstract

Migraine and stroke are common neurovascular disorders which share underlying physiological processes. Increased risks of ischemic stroke, hemorrhagic stroke, and subclinical ischemic lesions have been consistently found in migraineurs. Three possible associations are suggested. One is that underlying pathophysiology of migraine can lead to ischemic stroke. Second, common comorbidities between migraine and stroke can be present. Lastly, some syndromes can manifest with both migraine-like headache and cerebrovascular disease. Future studies should be targeted on bidirectional influence of migraine on different stroke mechanisms and optimal prevention of stroke in migraine patients.

Keywords: Hemorrhagic stroke; Ischemic stroke; Migraine; White matter hyperintensities.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no financial conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Typical manifestation and imaging findings in a patient with migrainous infarction. A 39 year-old female migraineur complained of prolonged visual aura and vertigo, which were identical with her previous migraine aura, followed by migrainous headache. She had been taking oral contraceptives for many years. Neurologic examination revealed tilting tendency to right side but it disappeared soon. (A) Diffusion MR demonstrated small cortical infarction in the right occipital lobe. (B) MR angiogram identified no steno-occlusive lesion in relevant cerebral arteries.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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