Characteristics of Cerebral White Matter Lesions on MRI in Juvenile Patients with Migraine.

OBJECTIVE: Cerebral white matter lesions (WMLs) have been frequently observed on MRI in patients with migraine. We investigated characteristics of WMLs in migraine and tried to determine the relationship between its causal mechanism and arteriosclerosis. METHODS: A head MRI was performed in juvenile migraine patients. The distributions of deep and periventricular WMLs were separately studied in the anterior and posterior circulation. Grading was conducted according to the Fazekas classification. Arteriosclerotic risk factors were identified, and their effects on WMLs were investigated. RESULTS: WMLs were observed in 85 (40.5%) of 210 patients in our hospital. This is significantly higher than the 10 (19.2%) of 63 patients in the control group (p < 0.01). WMLs were significantly observed on the anterior territory of the deep white matter (p < 0.01) and the posterior territory of the periventricular white matter (p < 0.05). Multivariable analysis revealed that the occurrence of WMLs was not related to arteriosclerotic risk factors, while migraine (p < 0.01) and aging (p < 0.05) were significant risk factors. CONCLUSION: While migraine was a risk factor of WMLs, its relationship with arteriosclerotic factors was weak. Accordingly, a mechanism other than arteriosclerosis may be involved.