Author:
Yang Yuting,Peng Xi,Chen Yangmei
Abstract
Abstract
Background
Migraine and epilepsy are both episodic disorders, with some overlapping symptoms, mechanisms and therapies. Clinically, there is a comorbid relationship between them. Some migraine patients may exhibit epileptic discharges by electroencephalogram (EEG) recording. Therefore, the two conditions are easily misdiagnosed.
Case presentation
We reported a 16-year-old female patient who was admitted to our hospital due to repeated headaches with disturbance of consciousness. Epileptic discharge was recorded by long-term EEG. The patient had been misdiagnosed as epilepsy, and had no response to anti-seizure medicines (ASMs). We revised her diagnosis and prescribed ibuprofen in her acute episode and prophylactic medicine, including flunarizine and amitriptyline in her interictal period. One week later, her headache disappeared.
Conclusions
This patient manifested with altered levels of consciousness during headache episodes, and the abnormal EEG results lead to the misdiagnosis as epilepsy. Clinicians should be cautious to the distinction between migraine and epilepsy.
Funder
Chongqing Medical University
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Subject
Neurology (clinical),Neurology