A comparative study of celiac disease in children with migraine headache and a normal control group.

BACKGROUND/AIMS Migraine headache is one of the most frequent types of headache in children in which multiple factors, including environmental and genetic, are involved. Celiac disease is an autoimmune-mediated disease with intolerance to gluten. The clinical spectrum of celiac disease is wide. Patients may present with malabsorption symptoms or extra-intestinal involvement, or can be totally asymptomatic. The association of migraine headache and celiac disease is not well known. The aim of this study was to assess the prevalence of celiac disease in children with migraine headache, in order to detect any relationship between them. METHODS A total of 100 patients with migraine headache according to the International Headache Society criteria were enrolled in the study. 1500 children without history of headache or other medical diseases participating in another study for detection of the prevalence of celiac disease were selected in this study as a control group. Serum total IgA and anti-tissue transglutaminase IgA (anti-tTGA) antibodies were measured. In cases with positive serologic tests, duodenal biopsy was performed for confirmation of celiac disease. RESULTS Two of 100 patients (2%) were found to have positive serologic tests for celiac disease, compared with 30 of 1500 children (2%) in the control group who had celiac disease. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study showed that the prevalence of celiac disease was not higher in patients with migraine compared with the control group. Therefore, diagnostic tests for celiac disease are not necessary as a part of the management of migraine headache.