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Basilar arterial migraine—a substrate for non-hypotensive syncope

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 August 2008

Adrian M. Moran*
Affiliation:
From the Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital and the Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medica1 School, Boston
Lucy W. Arnold
Affiliation:
From the Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital and the Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medica1 School, Boston
J. Philip Saul
Affiliation:
From the Department of Cardiology, Children's Hospital and the Department of Pediatrics, Harvard Medica1 School, Boston
*
Dr. Adrian M Moran, Children's Hospital, Department of Cardiology, 300 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115. USA. Tel. 617-735-6432; Fax. 617-735-7513.

Abstract

Syncope occurring simultaneously with documented normal blood pressures has been termed “psychogenic” in some patients. Two cases of basilar arterial migraine are presented, both with a diagnosis of syncope and documented normal blood pressures during the syncopal episodes. These findings highlight that syncope seen in the setting of basilar migraine is a variant from the typical form of neurally mediated syncope or cardiac arrhythmia. There is a need to consider the diagnosis of migraine when normal blood pressures and heart rates are recorded during such syncopal episodes.

Type
Brief Reports
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1996

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