PREVALENCE OF MIGRAINE IN PATENT FORAMEN OVALE ASSOCIATED STROKE
Sanja DJAMBAZOVSKA ZIKOVA, Danijela VOJTIKIV SAMOILOVSKA, Svetlana JOVEVSKA, Anita ARSOVSKA, Jasna PETRESKA, Ana DONEVA, Tatjana CEPREGANOVA CANGOVSKA
Abstract
Migraine is one of the most common neurological disorders which, despite being benign in nature, can be associated with stroke. The coexistence of migraine with a patent foramen ovale (PFO) - a known risk factor for stroke in young patients, further supports this connection. This paper investigates the prevalence of migraine in patients with cryptogenic stroke or transient ischemic attack associated with PFO. The study hypothesizes that migraine, particularly in younger patients, may be linked to strokes related to PFO through right-to-left shunt (RLS) detected by contrast-enhanced transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (Bubble-cTCD). We conducted a prospective observational study on 86 patients aged 18-60 years, assessing the presence of RLS and migraine history. RLS was detected in 56.6% of patients with cryptogenic stroke or transient ischemic attack and in 18.18% of patients with stroke or transient ischemic attack of known cause. A significant association was found between a history of migraine and cryptogenic stroke or transient ischemic attack with RLS (p < 0.04). A history of migraine was reported in 33.33% of patients with RLS and in 8.7% of those without RLS. In conclusion, our results showed a statistically significant association between migraine and cryptogenic stroke patients with RLS, supporting the notion that PFO-related stroke is an important subgroup among younger stroke patients with migraine. This work contributes to the growing body of evidence, strengthening the connection between migraine, PFO, and stroke, and deepening the understanding of the underlying mechanisms that link these conditions
Pages: 280 - 287