Internal jugular vein valve insufficiency is not increased in migraine: an ultrasound study in migraine patients and control participants.
BACKGROUND
Migraine is a common neurological disorder of unclear pathogenesis. Recently incompetence of internal jugular vein valve (IJVVI) was found to be associated with some neurological conditions of unknown etiology such as benign cough headache, primary exertional headache or transient global amnesia. Common vascular mechanism linking transiently increased cerebral venous pressure with the above mentioned conditions was then postulated. Therefore we decided to investigate whether IJVVI may be associated with migraine.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of our study was to evaluate the occurrence of IJVVI and retrograde flow duration in 70 (56 females) migraine patients by color Doppler ultrasound during Valsalva maneuver.We assessed internal jugular vein valve in 44 patients with migraine without aura (39 female); mean age 37 ± 9 yrs. and in 26 patients with migraine with typical aura (17 female); mean age 34 ± 9 yrs. Age- and sex-matched control group consisted of 42 healthy persons (33 female); mean age 32 ± 1 yrs.


RESULTS
Frequency of the internal jugular vein valve insufficiency was similar in patients with migraine and in the healthy subjects (51% v. 40%, p = 0.26). Also mean values of retrograde flow duration were similar in both groups (2.4 ± 0.8 sec in migraine group and 2.2 ± 1.2 sec in controls, p = 0.14).


CONCLUSIONS
The results of our study show no evidence for an increased prevalence of IJVVI in migraine patients.
Department of Neurology, Medical University of Warsaw, 1a Banacha Street, 02-097 Warsaw, Poland. izabela.domitrz@wum.edu.pl.
Izabela
I
Domitrz
Grzegorz
G
Styczynski
Justyna
J
Wilczko
Lucja
L
Gadomska
Beata
B
Parzuchowska
Wojciech
W
Domitrz
Anna
A
Kaminska
D000328:Adult; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007601:Jugular Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055422:Venous Valves / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*