When is aura more than a migraine? Sudden-onset scintillating scotoma may indicate other medical problems.(Research Review)

Review of Optometry, July, 2003 by Karpecki, Paul M.

A 70-year-old male recently presented with an onset of a scintillating scotoma. He had no history of migraine headaches, nor had he experienced an episode of a migraine prodrome or aura until now. Is this significant, or is it simply a case of late onset migraine prodrome? He did not experience any headache after the prodrome but has had three separate episodes of a scintillating scotoma pattern in the last month.

We'll look at the clinical studies related to this condition for all ages and determine whether we must consider the "zigzag pattern" as more than just a simple insignificant migraine prodrome. The Migraine Prodrome About 20% of women and 10% of men suffer from migraine headaches sometime in their lives, and about half to...

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