Annals of the Rheumatic Diseases, 1982, 41, 30-32 A study of migraine in systemic lupus erythematosus

SUMMARY An increased prevalence of classical migraine was found in 30 female patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) compared with an age and sex-matched control group by means of a detailed questionnaire. No significant differences were found between the patients and controls, who had classical and common migraine or visual auras without headache, with regard to a family history of migraine, the age of onset of the migraine, Raynaud's phenomenon, or use of oral con-traceptives. Increased activity of the lupus was not generally associated with an increase in migraine attacks. It is suggested that migrainous phenomena may be a feature of SLE. Although Brandt and Lessell ' reviewed migrainous phenomena in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the prevalence of migrainous and other headaches in this disorder appears to have received scant attention. Atkinson and Appenzeller2 in a retro-spective review studied the notes of 61 patients with SLE and found no difference in the incidence of headache between those patients with and withou