A third of patients with migraine may experience accompanying aura, and when this includes motor weakness, the condition is described as hemiplegic migraine. Young women who suffer from migraine with aura have a 6.2-fold increased risk of ischemic stroke. The slow progression and succession of symptoms help to provide the diagnosis of hemiplegic migraine. This report is adapted from paineurope 2014; Issue 1, Haymarket Medical Publications Ltd., and is presented with permission. paineurope is provided as a service to pain management by Mundipharma International, Ltd., and is distributed free of charge to health care professionals in Europe. Archival issues can be accessed via the Web site: http://www.paineurope.com at which European health professionals can register online to receive copies of the quarterly publication.
Keywords: aura; headache; migraine; triptan.