Prevalence of Right to Left Shunts in Japanese Patients with Migraine: A Single-center Study.
Objective Several studies have shown an increased prevalence of right-to-left shunt (RLs) in migraine patients, particularly those with aura. However, the prevalence of RLs and its relation to Japanese patients with migraine are unknown. We investigated the prevalence of RLs in Japanese patients with migraine. Methods In total, 112 consecutive patients with migraine were recruited from our headache outpatient clinic. Migraine with aura (MA) and migraine without aura (MWOA) were diagnosed according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition (beta-version). Contrast transcranial Doppler ultrasound was used to detect RLs, including patent foramen ovale (PFO). Then, the associations between RLs and patients' backgrounds and presence of aura were assessed. Results The overall prevalence of RLs and PFO in migraine patients was 54.5% and 43.8%, respectively. The prevalence of RLs and PFO in the MA group were significantly higher than in the MWOA group (RLs, 62.9% vs. 44.0%, p=0.046; PFO, 54.8% vs. 30.0%, p=0.008). There were no marked differences in the prevalence of large, middle and small shunts between MA and MWOA patients. Compared with the MWOA patients, the MA patients were younger (p=0.013) and had early onset age (p=0.013) and increased prevalence of photophobia (p=0.008). Conclusion RLs were found in over half of the Japanese patients with migraine. Our study suggests a possible link between RLs and MA.
['Iwasaki|Akio|A|', 'Suzuki|Keisuke|K|', 'Takekawa|Hidehiro|H|', 'Takashima|Ryotaro|R|', 'Suzuki|Ayano|A|', 'Suzuki|Shiho|S|', 'Hirata|Koichi|K|']
D000293:Adolescent D000328:Adult D000367:Age Factors D017668:Age of Onset D000368:Aged D005260:Female D054092:Foramen Ovale, Patent D006801:Humans D008297:Male D008875:Middle Aged D008881:Migraine Disorders D020325:Migraine with Aura D020795:Photophobia D015995:Prevalence D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial D055815:Young Adult
migraine right-to-left shunt migraine with aura patent foramen ovale pulmonary arteriovenous malformation transcranial ultrasonography