Evaluation of the frequency of patent foramen ovale in children with migraine

Aim: Migraine is known as a neurological disorder characterised by typical headache attacks. Migraine, which affects approximately 12% of the adult population worldwide, is more common in women. Patent foramen ovale (PFO) is a congenital cardiac anomaly characterised by a permanent opening between the right and left atria that typically closes shortly after birth. In approximately 25% of the general population, this opening remains open throughout life and its association with many diseases, especially migraine, has been investigated. Our aim in this study was to investigate the frequency of PFO in patients with migraine and to contribute to the literature on the effects of PFO on migraine frequency in children. Method: Our study was initiated after the approval of the Ethics Committee of Dicle University and included patients aged 5-18 years who presented to the Pediatric Neurology Outpatient Clinic of our hospital between September 2023 and September 2024 and were diagnosed with migraine. Cardiology consultation was requested for etiological investigation and all cardiac pathologies including PFO were screened with imaging methods. In addition, laboratory data and haemodynamic data of the patients were noted and used in comparisons. Results: Our study included 71 patients with migraine and 71 control group patients without migraine. 98.6% patients had migraine without aura and 1.4% had migraine with aura. PFO was found in 21.1% of the migraine group, while this rate was 2.8% in the control group. The frequency of PFO was statistically significantly higher in the migraine group (p=0.003). Patients with patent foramen ovalis had a statistically significantly higher heart rate (p=0.001). Conclusion: In our study, the frequency of patent foramen ovale was found to be significantly higher in migraine patients compared to the control group. We suggest that PFO may cause tachycardia in patients with migraine and the presence of PFO should be investigated in tachycardic patients diagnosed with migraine. Keywords: Migraine, Patent Foramen Ovale, Relationship, Frequency