Table 1 Possible comorbidities between migraine and stroke
Type | Definition |
|---|---|
Migraine as a risk factor for stroke | A clearly clinically defined stroke syndrome must occur remotely in time from a typical attack of migraine |
Migraine caused by stroke (symptomatic migraine) | An acute vascular event in the central nervous system (ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke or TIA) produces episodes of headache with the characteristics of migraine with or without aura; to be coded as ICHD-II 6.1 |
Migraine as a caused of stroke (migrainous infarction) | A documented infarct in a relevant area during the course of an attack of migraine with aura, in a patient with a history of migraine with aura, with symptoms that are those of the aura and in the absence of other possible causes at an extensive workup; to be coded as ICHD-II 1.54 |
Migraine and stroke sharing a common cause | A syndrome (usually of genetic origin) in which both migraine and stroke are major clinical features (e.g. CADASIL [ICHID-II 6.7.1] or [ICHD-II] 6.7.2) |
Migraine associated with subclinical stroke | Evidence at brain neuroimaging of small areas compatible with brain ischemia in patients without a history of any clinical symptom indicating a stroke syndrome |
Migraine mimicking stroke (and vice versa: stroke mimicking migraine) | Symptoms of migraine attacks (particularly aura without headache) and of stroke (particularly TIAs) may overlap causing problems in the differential diagnosis |