ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the effect of patent foramen ovale(PFO)on white matter lesions(WMLs) in migraine without aura(MwoA).Methods Thirty-five patients with MwoA were examined by contrast transcranial Doppler(cTCD)and magnetic resonance imaging(MRI).According to the results of PFO and MRI Flair data,the patients' age,sex and headache characteristics were matched,and the WMLs were compared between the PFO positive group and negative group.Results Seven cases of WMLs were recruited in PFO positive group(19 cases)and the WMLs were distributed in the frontal lobe and/or the parietal lobe.The score ranged from 1 to 7 points.Five cases of WMLs were enrolled in PFO negative group(16 cases)and the WMLs also were distributed in the frontal lobe and/or the parietal lobe.The score ranged from 1 to 3 points.There was no significant difference in WMLs between the groups(P＞ 0.05).Conclusion White matter lesions in migraine without aura are distributed in the frontal lobe and the parietal lobe,and these findings do not support a relationship between PFO and WMLs.