Association of clinical and laboratory manifestations and transcranial Doppler parameters in women with headaches and antiphospholipid syndrome

Abstract

52 patients with headache (migraine – 21, tension headache – 31) and 47 healthy women were examined. All women underwent neurological, laboratory and ultrasound (transcranial doppler) examinations. Blood flow and laboratory parameters were significally different between controls and patients with headache and antiphoshpolipid syndrome. All patients with antiphoshpolipid syndrome had changes in thrombotic system and plasma. Almost all blood flow parameters in all examined arteries were significally hire in patients with antiphoshpolipid syndrome than in controls. Comparing blood flow in different cerebral arteries between two groups, we found statistical significance in medium cerebral artery. Blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery was increased with the increasing severity of headache on a visual analogue scale. The index of pulsation, in contrast, is lower in the main group, reflecting the decrease of vascular resistance and flexibility of blood vessels. Our study revealed a trend to more pronounced changes in coagulogram and more striking clinical manifestations in patients aged 31–41 years than among patients aged 20–29 years. Comparison of laboratory parameters in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome with various forms of headache revealed a statistically significant difference between the values of the level of D-dimer and induced platelet aggregation. Increased level of fibrinogen detected only among patients of the main group aged 30–41. It is revealed that high values of fibrinogen, factor V resistance, peak flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery have a direct impact on the severity of the headache.

Keywords

central nervous system / antiphoshpolipid syndrome / hypercoagulability / headache / clinical features / transcranial doppler ultrasound / neurological features / migraine

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