Clinical characteristics and treatment of patients hospitalized with status migrainosus: a retrospective analysis.

Abstract

Backgrounds: Status Migrainosus is not rare, but there is still very little research data on this aspect, and treatment and diagnosis face huge challenges.

Objects: The purpose of this study was to characterize the clinical characteristics and current treatment status of status migrainosus patients hospitalized in the Department of Neurology.

Methods: This retrospective study examined patients with status migrainosus who were hospitalized in the Department of Neurology at a tertiary hospital in Chengdu, China, from August 1, 2015, to July 31, 2024. This study analyzed the demographic characteristics, clinical features, and treatment approaches of these status migrainosus patients.

Results: Among the 1,237 patients hospitalized with a primary complaint of headache, 26 were ultimately diagnosed with status migrainosus. Of these status migrainosus patients, 21 patients with complete information were analyzed. The cohort predominantly consisted of middle-aged women, with most reporting moderate to severe headache intensity. The most common triggers identified were lack of sleep (66.7%) and mood disorders (42.8%). The average duration of status migrainosus was 9.3 days. In terms of treatment, NSAIDs were the most frequently administered (95.2%). During hospitalization, the most commonly used oral analgesics were NSAIDs and triptans, while intravenous treatments primarily included dexamethasone and valproic acid. 87.5% (14 out of 16) of the patients received preventive migraine treatment following discharge.

Conclusion: The clinical characteristics of Status Migrainosus are generally similar to those of episodic migraine. Treatment to terminate the headache attack often requires the combined use of multiple drugs.