Migraine headaches in adolescents: a five-year follow-up study.
OBJECTIVE
Longitudinal studies of juvenile migraine are very few. We investigated the prevalence and evolution over 5 years of migraine without aura (MWOA) and migraineous disorder (MD) in an adolescent population.


METHODS
Sixty-four subjects (34 girls and 30 boys, mean age 17.3+/-1.1 years) out of 80 selected in our 1989 epidemiological survey were included in the study. The diagnostic criteria of the International Headache Society were used in both studies.


RESULTS
Thirty-two of 64 subjects (50%) had MWAO, 18 (28.1%) had MD, and 14 (21.9%) had headache not classifiable (HnC). Our results show that MWOA persisted in 56.2%, converted to MD or HnC in 9.4% and 3.1% of cases, respectively, changed to episodic tension-type headache (ETTH) in 12.5%, and remitted in 18.8%. MD persisted in 11.1%, converted to MWOA or HnC in 27.8% and 5.5% of cases, respectively, changed to ETTH in 11.1%, and remitted in 44.5%. HnC persisted in 14.3%, converted to MD or MWOA in 21.4% and 14.3% of cases, respectively, changed to ETTH in 14.3%, and remitted in 35.7%.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data indicate that juvenile-onset MWOA and MD may change in character over time, generally with a favorable prognosis.
Camarda
Rosolino
R
Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation, Institute of Neuropsychiatry, University of Palermo, Italy. rcamarda@neuro.unipa.it
Monastero
Roberto
R
Santangelo
Giuseppe
G
Raimondo
Domenico
D
Puma
Domenico
D
Pipia
Carmela
C
Camarda
Lawrence K C
LK
Camarda
Cecilia
C
Raieli
Vincenzo
V
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology*; D020326:Migraine without Aura / Q000453:epidemiology; D015995:Prevalence; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous