title: Should "migralepsy" be considered an obsolete concept? A multicenter retrospective clinical/EEG study and review of the literature.
abstract: The few reports that have been published on the current International Classification of Headache Disorders, Second Edition (ICHD-II), criteria for migralepsy and hemicrania epileptica have highlighted the considerable confusion regarding this "hot topic" within both headache and epilepsy classifications (ICHD-II and International League Against Epilepsy [ILAE]). Indeed, the ICHD-II describes a migraine-triggered seizure as a rare event in which a seizure occurs during migraine aura; on the other hand, hemicrania epileptica is described as an "ictal headache" that occurs "synchronously" with a partial seizure. To confuse matters even further, neither the term migralepsy nor the term hemicrania epileptica is included in the currently used ILAE classification. On the basis of both a review of "migralepsy" cases in the literature and 16 additional retrospective multicenter cases, we suggest that the term migraine-triggered seizure or migralepsy be deleted from the ICHD-II classification until unequivocal evidence is provided of its existence, and that the term ictal epileptic headache be introduced into the ILAE classification.
authors.affiliation: Child Neurology and Department of Pediatrics, University of Chieti, Chieti, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Verrotti
authors.forename: Giangennaro
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Coppola
authors.forename: Alessia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Di Fonzo
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Tozzi
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Spalice
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Aloisi
authors.forename: Raffaella
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bruschi
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Iannetti
authors.forename: Maria Pia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Villa
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Parisi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007088:Illusions / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D012189:Retrospective Studies