[Epileptic seizure and migraine visual aura: revisiting migralepsy].

INTRODUCTION

The term of "migralepsy" has been proposed to define migraine-triggered epileptic seizures. Although already reported in the literature for more than fifty years, a number of observations remain debatable because of possible confusion between migraine and epileptic seizure clinical manifestations, including hemifield visual hallucinations, digestive signs and severe headache.

OBSERVATION: We report on the case of a young patient suffering from both diseases, in whom a visual aura preceded either migraine attacks or epileptic generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Subtle modification in the primitive visual hallucination, which suddenly contained colored figures and was accompanied by fear before a prolonged loss of contact, suggested a continuum between migraine aura and epileptic seizure in this patient. Brain MRI was normal and EEG showed some sharp waves in the right posterior area.

CONCLUSION

The presence of a neurophysiological continuum between migrainous aura and epileptic seizure is supported by this observation of "migralepsy". Recent findings from genetic and epidemiological studies further support this link.