Abstract
Migraine-related syndromes are a common cause of episodic vertigo and dizziness in
children. Somatoform vertigo (SV) is an important cause of chronic dizziness, especially
in adolescents. Our aim was to elucidate the comorbidity of migraine and SV. Three
diagnostic groups were defined: migraine-related vertigo (MRV), SV, and combined migraine-related
and SV (MSV). A retrospective analysis was performed on patient data (demographics,
diagnosis, neuro-orthoptic and neurologic status, and results of vestibular and balance
testing) from 168 patients who were presented to the German Center for Vertigo and
Balance Disorders (IFB) over a 2.5-year period. Mean age of patients was 12 ± 4 years
(range: 1.4 to 18 years). The most frequent diagnosis was MRV (28%), followed by MSV
(19%) and SV (14%). MSV occurred most frequently in adolescent girls (25%). MRV was
the most common cause of dizziness in our cohort. MSV ranked second overall but ranked
first in adolescent girls, followed by isolated SV. SV was most prevalent in adolescent
girls. MRV, MSV, and SV account for about 60% of diagnoses established in our tertiary
referral center. Competent care of childhood migraine should include skill in detecting
both the clinical symptoms of vertigo and overlapping somatoform symptoms.
Keywords
migraine-related vertigo - somatoform vertigo - benign paroxysmal vertigo in childhood
