CLASSIFICATION OF PEDIATRIC MIGRAINE - PROPOSED REVISIONS TO THE IHS CRITERIA

The International Headache Society classification lends itself to modi fication to significantly improve the diagnostic sensitivity of migrai ne in the pediatric population. Children and adolescents require speci al modifications relating to duration, location, quality of intensity, and symptoms related to photophobia and phonophobia. We propose speci fic criteria for pediatric migraine with and without aura which are mo re sensitive. Forty-five children and adolescents seen at a headache c enter were evaluated, retrospectively, comparing diagnostic criteria o f the International Headache Society, Vahlquist, and the proposed revi sed IHS classification for clinical diagnosis by a single examiner (pe diatric neurologist)-comparing diagnostic rates for migraine of the to tal sample: IHS (53%), Vahlquist (69%), and IHS-R (80%) and evaluating a subset of those patients less than 12 years (n=22): IHS (50%), Vahl quist (68%), and IHS-R (73%). The proposed revisions to IHS for pediat ric migraine were more sensitive than existing criteria. These revisio ns may help to form the basis for future research guidelines end for f urther modifications to improve the diagnostic sensitivity of pediatri c migraine using the IHS model.