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NEUROSURGICAL ANESTHESIOLOGY

Migraine with Atypical Aura in the Recovery Room: A Sometimes Complicated Diagnosis!

Antoine Pianezza, MD^*, Romain Barthélémy, MD^*, Vincent Minville, MD^*, Frédérique Martin, MD^*, and Michel Faggianelli, MD

From the *Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, University Hospital of Toulouse, University Paul Sabatier, Toulouse, France; and Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, Hospital of Rodez, Rodez, France.

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. Antoine Pianezza, Department of Anesthesiology and Intensive Care, University Hospital of Toulouse, Rangueil Hospital, Orthopedic section, Toulouse, France. Address e-mail to a.pianezza{at}wanadoo.fr.

Abstract

Migraine is a frequent neurological pathology. However, the diagnosis can be difficult to establish, especially when it is accompanied with an atypical aura that can be confounded with a stroke. We describe a case of 38-yr-old patient who presented just after general anesthesia with a perioperative acute migraine with atypical aura which was wrongly treated as a serious cerebral stroke. The patient had not mentioned migraine in her history before the surgery. This lack of information led to unnecessary therapy.