title: Is there a correlation between the pineal gland calcification and migraine?
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The pineal gland calcifications have been associated with some diseases such as cerebral infarction, Alzheimer's disease and intracerebral hemorrhage while most cases are considered idiopathic and physiologic. However, there are limited data in the current literature about the association of pineal calcification and migraine. Our aim was to evaluate this association between migraine and pineal calcification by computed tomography of the brain.
  
  
  METHODS
  In our study, we assessed the computed tomography images of patients, who referred to the neurology outpatient clinic with the complaint of headache and were diagnosed with migraine without aura based according to 2004 criteria of the International Headache Society. 503 migraine patients and 500 control subjects without migraine diagnosis were included in this study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  When migraine and control groups were compared by pineal calcification, the rates were determined as 80, 6% and 55% in migraine and control group, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). In addition, it was seen that pineal calcifications, detected in migraine patients, did not show age-related increase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to our data, we can point that pineal calcification may be associated with migraine.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Kafkas University, Kars, Turkey. haticekse@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Ozlece
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Akyuz
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ilik
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Huseyinoglu
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aydin
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Can
authors.forename: V A
authors.initials: VA
authors.lastname: Serim
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D055815:Young Adult