Is there a correlation between the pineal gland calcification and migraine?

H.K. Ozlece, O. Akyuz, F. Ilik, N. Huseyinoglu, S. Aydin, S. Can, V.A. Serim

Department of Neurology, Kafkas University, Kars, Turkey. haticekse@hotmail.com

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• Neurology

OBJECTIVE: The pineal gland calcifications have been associated with some diseases such as cerebral infarction, Alzheimer’s disease and intracerebral hemorrhage while most cases are considered idiopathic and physiologic. However, there are limited data in the current literature about the association of pineal calcification and migraine. Our aim was to evaluate this association between migraine and pineal calcification by computed tomography of the brain.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: In our study, we assessed the computed tomography images of patients, who referred to the neurology outpatient clinic with the complaint of headache and were diagnosed with migraine without aura based according to 2004 criteria of the International Headache Society. 503 migraine patients and 500 control subjects without migraine diagnosis were included in this study.

RESULTS: When migraine and control groups were compared by pineal calcification, the rates were determined as 80, 6% and 55% in migraine and control group, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). In addition, it was seen that pineal calcifications, detected in migraine patients, did not show age-related increase.

CONCLUSIONS: According to our data, we can point that pineal calcification may be associated with migraine.

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