Is benign paroxysmal vertigo of childhood a migraine precursor?

Abstract

Introduction: Benign Paroxysmal Vertigo of Childhood (BPVC) is a common cause of vertigo in children and it is characterized by recurrent attacks of vertigo without warning resolving spontaneously after minutes to hours. It has been considered the equivalent of migraine in childhood.

Methods: Twenty-seven patients diagnosed with BPVC were recruited between 1991 and 1997 with a follow up of at least 15 years. The incidence of migraine, inner ear disorders and family medical history is analyzed.

Results: The average age for the onset of the attacks of BPVC was 3 years and 11 months, and for spontaneous resolution, it was around 5 years and 7 months. The average age for follow up was 18 years. Nine patients developed migraine during adulthood. Nineteen of them had a family history of migraine.

Conclusion: We have observed that the prevalence of migraine in patients that had been diagnosed with BPVC is higher than in the general population, which leads us to propose BPVC as a precursor of migraine during childhood.