title: Magnetic resonance angiography of the circle of Willis in migraine patients.
abstract: We analysed records of 244 consecutive adult outpatients who presented at our neurological polyclinic between 1996 and 2001 with migraine and who underwent a MRA of the circle of Willis. In 80 cases, a definitive migraine diagnosis according to the International Headache Society criteria (1988) could be retrieved from the patient records. Of these, 63 patients had migraine without aura and 17 patients had migraine with aura. Two MRA procedures were abrupted because of claustrophobia and another two MRA studies were unreliable because of movement artefacts. In only one patient of the remaining 240, an aneurysm was suspected with MRA. However, a conventional angiography did not confirm any cerebrovascular abnormality. All other exams were considered normal. This retrospective study argues against a systematic screening of migraine patients with MRA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Ghent University Hospital, De Pintelaan 185, B-9000 Ghent, Belgium. koenpaemeleire@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Koen
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Paemeleire
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Proot
authors.forename: Kristel
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: De Keyzer
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Achten
authors.forename: Luc
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Crevits
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020785:Central Nervous System Vascular Malformations / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D002941:Circle of Willis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D018810:Magnetic Resonance Angiography; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020325:Migraine with Aura / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D020326:Migraine without Aura / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011859:Radiography; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies