Frequency of headache and migraine in child patients with atrial septal defect

Headache and Migraine Prevalence in Pediatric Patients with Atrial Septal Defects. Headache is one of the common complaints that impairs the quality of life of children by affecting school success, relationships with friends and school attendance. The most common cause of headache in children is migraine. In many studies conducted in recent years, it has been found that there is a relationship between congenital heart disease and migraine. There are very few studies conducted on patients with Atrial Septal Defect, and these studies have shown that; There is a causal relationship between congenital heart disease with a left-to-right shunt and migraine headache. In our study, we aimed to determine the relationship between ASD and headache and migraine in children, to evaluate whether the prevalence of headache and migraine would decrease after the defect was closed percutaneously, and to determine the prevalence of migraine with and without aura and to investigate the relationship between this condition and congenital heart disease. Our study was carried out by filling out a questionnaire form prepared according to ICHD-3 criteria prospectively in children aged 4-18 years who were diagnosed with ASD and were repaired between November 2019 and May 2021 in Gaziantep University Medical Faculty Hospital. The questionnaire was re-contacted to the patients and their relatives before and at 3., 6. and 9. months after the repair. Patients with mental retardation, previous cardiac interventional procedures, medical medication and intracranial and psychiatric problems were not included in the study. 69 patients were included in the study. At the third month after the procedure, it was observed that 9 of 10 patients who had initial pain resolved, and 5 patients developed new onset headache. At the 6th month interrogation, it was seen that the headache disappeared in 5 of the 6 patients and one patient had a headache at the 9th month questioning. Closure devices were used in patients. It was determined that there was no statistically significant relationship between the brand of the device used and headache. In our study, after ASD closure, headache frequency, severity, and number of attacks decreased and new-onset headaches were observed. The decrease in the frequency of pain and new-onset headaches after transcatater repair in pediatric patients indicates the need for more research on this subject. Showing the relationship between migraine headaches and cardiac defects will positively affect the prognosis in migraine diagnosis and treatment. Keywords: Headache, migraine, atrial septal defect, childhood