Migraine with Aura as a Stroke Mimic

Can J Neurol Sci. 2020 Mar;47(2):242-244. doi: 10.1017/cjn.2019.316.

Abstract

Migraine with aura is one of the causes of stroke mimics. We retrospectively reviewed the 10-year medical records of patients who were treated with acute stroke management protocol. We analyzed the frequency and characteristics of patients with a final diagnosis of migraine with aura. Among the 1355 patients with stroke mimics, migraine with aura was the final diagnosis in 36 patients (2.7%). The most common auras included sensory and brainstem auras followed by motor, visual, and speech/language auras. One patient manifested transient atrial fibrillation during the migraine attack, which can be a link with acute stroke.

Keywords: Atrial fibrillation; Headache; Migraine with aura; Stroke.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Migraine with Aura / diagnosis*
  • Migraine with Aura / epidemiology
  • Registries
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Stroke / diagnosis*
  • Stroke / epidemiology