Evaluation and management of vestibular migraine in children: Experience from a pediatric vestibular clinic

• Vestibular migraine is a common cause of vertigo in children and adolescents.
• Vestibular testing is often normal in pediatric patients with vestibular migraine, though balance impairment may be present.
• Migraine medications frequently result in improvement or resolution of dizziness in pediatric vestibular migraine.

ObjectiveEpidemiologic studies have shown Vestibular migraine (VM) to be the most common cause of vertigo in children, but little is known about the typical presentation and response to treatment of this disorder in the pediatric population. The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic features and response to therapy of VM in children managed at a pediatric vestibular clinic.MethodsTwenty-eight patients ≤18 years old with a diagnosis of VM were identified from 208 patients seen at the Balance and Vestibular Program at Boston Children's Hospital from July 2012–July 2014, after excluding 12 patients with a history of major otologic or neurologic surgery, recent concussion, or additional vestibular disorders. Patients' electronic medical records and testing results were retrospectively reviewed.ResultsPatients ranged in age from 9 to 18 years old (mean 14.48). All included patients met criteria for definite (n = 25) or probable (n = 3) VM as defined by the International Classification of Headache Disorders. Rotary chair (n = 17), caloric (n = 8), cervical vestibular evoked myogenic potential (n = 16), and video head impulse (n = 3) tests were normal. Medications effectively reduced reported vestibular symptoms in 88% of those treated with tricyclics (n = 8), 86% of those treated with cyprohepatadine (n = 7), 80% of those treated with topiramate (n = 5), 80% of those treated with triptans (n = 10), and 25% of those treated with gabapentin (n = 4).ConclusionsVestibular migraine is a common cause of vertigo in the pediatric population that is frequently responsive to medical therapy.