What is the relationship between vascular anatomical variants in migraineurs and ischemic strokes?
The relationship between these vascular anatomical variants in migraineurs to ischemic strokes is unclear. Once considered a disease of cerebral blood vessels, recent experimental and clinical data have indicated that migraine results from a complex interaction of several converging pathogenic factors. These include disturbance of cortical excitability, cortical spreading depression, meningeal inflammation, and activation of the trigeminovascular system. However, factors contributing to the increased risk of stroke with migraine remain elusive.