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Neuropediatrics 2016; 47(02): 107-111
DOI: 10.1055/s-0036-1571799
Original Article
Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Pediatric Headache and Epilepsy Comorbidity in the Pragmatic Clinical Setting

Antigone S. Papavasiliou
1   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Pendeli Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
,
Marianna Bregianni
1   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Pendeli Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
,
Irene Nikaina
1   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Pendeli Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
,
Charalambos Kotsalis
1   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Pendeli Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
,
Evangelos Paraskevoulakos
1   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Pendeli Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
,
Helen Bazigou
1   Department of Pediatric Neurology, Pendeli Children's Hospital, Athens, Greece
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

05 August 2015

23 December 2015

Publication Date:
08 February 2016 (online)

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Abstract

Introduction Demographic and clinical data were collected from three cross-sectional samples, from the headache and epilepsy clinics according to respective protocols. During structured interviews, we examined the co-occurrence of headaches and epilepsy in children and their families: (1) 172 children from the headache clinic, were questioned for the number and type of epileptic seizures and epilepsy diagnosis. (2) Around 70 children from the epilepsy clinic for the frequency and type of headaches and headache syndrome diagnosis. (3) A total of 149 parents of children with benign childhood epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes (BCECTS) and childhood absence epilepsy (CAE), for the relative frequency of headaches in first- and second-degree relatives.

Results Out of 172, 84 (48.8%) children with headache had a migraine and 60 (34.9%) had tension headaches; 3 children (1.7%) had epilepsy or unprovoked seizures. Migraine and epilepsy, co-occurred in 2/84 (2.3%). Eight out of 70 patients with epilepsy had headaches (11.4%); none had migraine. Around 43% of patients with BCECTS or CAE had a family history of headache, more prevalent in first-degree relatives of children with BCECTS than CAE.

Conclusion Contrary to existing literature, migraine and epilepsy, co-occurred infrequently in these highly selected samples. Family history of headache was frequent in patients with BCECTS and CAE, without any significant difference between the two.

Keywords

epilepsy - headaches - migraine - benign childhood epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes - childhood absence epilepsy - seizures
 

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