Vestibular migraine: comparative analysis between diagnostic criteria()

INTRODUCTION: There is a strong association between vertigo and migraine. Vestibular migraine (VM) was described in 1999, and diagnostic criteria were proposed in 2001 and revised in 2012. OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic criteria for VM proposed in 2001 with 2012 criteria with respect to their diagnostic power and therapeutic effect of VM prophylaxis. METHODS: Clinical chart review of patients attended to in a VM clinic. RESULTS: The 2012 criteria made the diagnosis more specific, restricting the diagnosis of VM to a smaller number of patients, such that 87.7% of patients met 2001 criteria and 77.8% met 2012 criteria. Prophylaxis for VM was effective both for patients diagnosed by either set of criteria and for those who did not meet any of the criteria. CONCLUSIONS: The 2012 diagnostic criteria for VM limited the diagnosis of the disease to a smaller number of patients, mainly because of the type, intensity, and duration of dizziness. Patients diagnosed with migraine and associated dizziness demonstrated improvement after prophylactic treatment of VM, even when they did not meet diagnostic criteria.