Abstract
The superficial temporal artery has been thought to be the main focus of pain during migraine attacks, but its diameter has never been measured directly. The use of a new, high-resolution ultrasound machine to measure arterial size in 25 migraine patients with unilateral head pain showed that the lumen was wider on the painful than on the non-painful side during a migraine attack. The diameters of both radial arteries and the temporal artery on the non-painful side were smaller during than between attacks. The generalised vasoconstriction was not shared by the temporal artery on the affected side, which suggests a local vasodilatory response. The findings suggest that cephalic arteries may play a role in migraine pathogenesis.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Lancet |
| Volume | 336 |
| Issue number | 8719 |
| Pages (from-to) | 837-9 |
| Number of pages | 3 |
| ISSN | 0140-6736 |
| Publication status | Published - 6 Oct 1990 |
Keywords
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Arteries
- Evaluation Studies as Topic
- Female
- Humans
- Middle Aged
- Migraine Disorders
- Palpation
- Radius
- Temporal Arteries
- Ultrasonics
- Vasodilation