Magnetic Resonance Angiography Evidence of Vasospasm in Children With Suspected Acute Hemiplegic Migraine

Hemiplegic migraine is a rare subtype of migraine that is differentiated by motor weakness in the aura phase. The purpose of this case series was to examine the magnetic resonance angiogram findings of patients suffering from suspected acute hemiplegic migraine. This was a retrospective institutional board review protocol study of 8 patients. All patients received full brain magnetic resonance imaging under a 1.5-T magnet. The scans were subsequently evaluated by a neuroradiologist and 2 neurologists who were blinded to the study. The magnetic resonance angiogram findings of this study showed the presence of vasospasm within the intracranial vasculature during suspected acute hemiplegic migraine. This case series suggests that routine use of magnetic resonance angiography might be beneficial in both managing patients with acute hemiplegic migraine and helping to further understand the pathophysiology of this complicated disease process.