title: A comparative study of magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography in the evaluation of migraine.
abstract: Seventy-four patients with classic migraine were examined by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and contrast enhanced head CT scanning. Patients chosen for the study ranged in age from 9 to 39 years with a mean age of 28 years. All had documented symptoms of classic migraine for over two years. Nineteen of the seventy-four patients (26%) had multiple foci of bright signal in the brain on T2 weighted MRI. None of these parenchymal abnormalities were detected on CT scans. Twenty-six patients (35%) had both MRI and CT demonstration of focal or generalized ventricular enlargement or sulcal prominence. These atrophic findings were shown equally well by both modalities. Ten patients (14%) with atrophic changes showed concomitant small bright foci of T2 signal abnormality. An additional migraine patient with homonymous hemianopsia had a large occipital lobe infarct which was seen as a region of bright T2 signal abnormality on MRI. Typical CT characteristics of an acute infarct were demonstrated.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Southern Illinois University School of Medicine, Springfield 62769.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Kuhn
authors.forename: P C
authors.initials: PC
authors.lastname: Shekar
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed