[Migraine with prolonged eyelid edema: a series of 10 cases].

BACKGROUND

Migraine may present with cranial autonomic symptoms typical of trigeminal-autonomic cephalalgias, thus posing diagnostic difficulties. AIM. To report a series of patients with prominent eyelid oedema associated with migraine.

METHODS

Ten patients attending the headache offices in three hospitals (nine women, one man; age: 26-53 years-old) with recurrent eyelid oedema as a migraine accompaniment.

RESULTS

According to the diagnostic criteria of the International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD-III, beta version), eight patients had migraine without aura, one had migraine with aura, and one had chronic migraine. Eyelid oedema appeared during the most severe headache attacks, and had longer duration than the pain. Pharmacological or systemic causes of the oedema were ruled out in all cases. Other associated autonomic symptoms were conjunctival injection (n = 3), lacrimation (n = 2) and rhinorrhoea (n = 1). Both the pain and the oedema improved with symptomatic and preventive therapies for migraine.

CONCLUSIONS

Eyelid oedema may occasionally be a migraine accompaniment. It appears in some patients during their most severe migraine attacks, and may improve with the acute and preventive treatment for migraine.