Occipital and Craniocervical Pain and Brain MRI in Children With Migraine

Abstract Background Both cervical and occipital pain has been reported in pediatric patients with migraine. There are no descriptions of anatomical changes on conventional brain magnetic resonance imaging that can explain the pathophysiology of headache with cervical and occipital pain in this age g...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Pediatric neurology 2014-04, Vol.50 (4), p.347-352
Main Authors: Eidlitz-Markus, Tal, MD, Zeharia, Avraham, MD, Haimi-Cohen, Yishai, MD, Konen, Osnat, MD
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adolescent
Brain - pathology
Brain - physiopathology
brain magnetic resonance imaging
Cervical Vertebrae
Child
Child, Preschool
children
Cohort Studies
craniocervical pain
Female
Hospitals, Pediatric
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Migraine Disorders - pathology
Migraine Disorders - physiopathology
Neurology
Occipital Bone
occipital pain
Pain - pathology
Pain - physiopathology
Pediatrics
Retrospective Studies
Tertiary Care Centers
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Summary:Abstract Background Both cervical and occipital pain has been reported in pediatric patients with migraine. There are no descriptions of anatomical changes on conventional brain magnetic resonance imaging that can explain the pathophysiology of headache with cervical and occipital pain in this age group. Our aim was to evaluate the frequency of cervical and occipital pain in children and adolescents with migraine as opposed to other types of headache and to seek corresponding anatomic abnormalities on brain magnetic resonance imaging. Methods The cohort included 194 patients with headache attending the ambulatory headache clinic of a pediatric tertiary medical center. Data were collected by medical file review and revision of conventional magnetic resonance scans. Results Patients were divided into two groups: migraine headache (n = 125) and other types of headache (n = 69). Occipital pain was reported by 16.4% of the patients and cervical pain by 4.1%; neither type of pain was characteristic of migraine headache in particular. Brain magnetic resonance imaging did not show any anatomic changes specific to migraine or other headache types, regardless of the presence of occipital or cervical pain. Conclusions Occipital and cervical pain are not characteristic symptoms of any headache group in the pediatric age group, and their presence or absence does not correspond to changes on conventional brain magnetic resonance imaging.
ISSN:0887-8994
1873-5150
DOI:10.1016/j.pediatrneurol.2013.11.004