Aim: The migraine is one of the most frequent neurological alterations that provokes discharge morbidity and big inconveniences the one that endures it. The presence of brain perfusion abnormalities during the pain-free intervals of migraine increase controversies being so numerous the supporters of its existences as who deny it. This study was aimed at assessing the presence of cerebral perfusion abnormalities, even during the interictal phase, and the role of 99mTc-ECD SPECT on diagnosis of these migrainous patients.
Material and Methods: we investigated 20 migrainous patients (16 women and 4 men) with aura during periods without headache and 20 healthy volunteers (control group). Brain SPECT was performed, using 99mTc-ECD (925 MBq) as radiopharmaceutical, on a two heads rotating gamma camera (Piker Axis) equipped with a fan-beam collimator. The images were reconstructed using a filter Mezt, presented in courts in the tree axes and rebuilt in three dimensions and later they were analyzed by two observers.
Results: 14 patients (70%) were found with focal hypo-perfusion images and evident interhemispheric asymmetric, while only two on control groups had this find (10%) being this difference statistically significant. The more affected brain part was the occipital one, although they predominated over a widespread hypo-uptakes region.
Conclusions: The brain SPECT is a useful technology to identify migrainous patients that can be used in periods without pain. The achievement of perfusion in patients is the located hypo-perfusion and this is significantly different from the control group, it can be explained by an impaired regional cerebral vascular auto-regulation existing even during headache-free intervals in patients who suffer migraine. Future studies could be realized to determine the relation between the zone of hypo-perfusion and the type of present symptomatology in the aura.