Abstract Number ‐ 242: Safety and Effectiveness of Intravenous Thrombolytic in Patients with Concurrent Migraine‐Headaches and Focal Neurological Deficits.

Introduction It is relatively well recognized that migraine headaches can present with focal neurological deficits. Current guidelines do not exclude such patients from receiving intravenous recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt‐PA). Methods We reviewed the records of migraine patients with ischemic stroke using a combination of retrospective chart review and prospective identification. The migraine was classified based on the criteria proposed by the third International Classification of Headache Disorders (ICHD‐3) into migraine with aura, and hemiplegic migraine. We ascertained rates of early neurological improvement (defined by reduction in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of 4 points or greater or NIHSS score of 0 at24 hours), any intracerebral hemorrhage within 24 hours, and excellent functional outcome based on modified Rankin Scale (mRS 0–1) at one month. Results A total of 25 patients (mean age ± SD; 45.3 ± 10.6 years; 15 were women) who met the criteria of migraine headaches concurrently presented with focal neurological deficits and received intravenous rt‐PA. The migraine was classified as hemiplegic migraine and migraine with aura in 22 and 3 patients, respectively. Intravenous rt‐PA was administered at a mean period of 142 minutes(range 60–255 minutes). Computed tomographic angiography was performed in 24 patients and did not reveal any large vessel arterial occlusion. Early neurological improvement was seen in 13 of 25 patients. None of the patients developed post thrombolytic intracerebral hemorrhage. Excellent functional outcome was seen in all patients. Diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed in 25 patients within 72 hours of symptom onset and demonstrated a new infarction in 1 patient. Conclusions In our analysis, intravenous rt‐PA was associated with high rates of early neurological improvement and excellent functional outcome at 1 month in patients with concurrent migraine headaches and focal neurological deficits.