ORAL DIHYDROERGOTAMINE FOR THERAPY-RESISTANT MIGRAINE ATTACKS IN CHILDREN

Twelve children with migraine symptoms that did not respond to convent ional analgesics completed a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-o ver study of two doses of oral dihydroergotamine (DHE) for acute treat ment. The primary endpoint was reduction of headache by greater than o r equal to 2 grades on a 5-grade scale at 2 hours. After DHE, 7 of the 12 children reached the primary endpoint, and 2 reached the primary e ndpoint after placebo [difference 42%; 95% confidence interval (CI) 14 %-70%]. Five of the 7 were pain-free after DHE (3 with 20 mu g/kg; 2 w ith 40 mu g/kg); none was pain-free after placebo. Headache recurred i n 2 of the 5. Although headache recurrence limits the efficacy of oral DHE, it may be useful in the acute treatment of migraine in selected children. (C) 1997 by Elsevier Science Inc.