The clinical spectrum of migraine in children

Migraine is an intriguing disorder, as much of its story remains untold. In the past decade, our insights have advanced greatly as we gain a better understanding of the pathophysiology of many aspects of migraine. The future will offer further knowledge regarding the etiology of the various components of the migraine subtypes and variants. Some will be reclassified as channelopathies with new and more specific therapies. In the interim, our primary responsibilities are to recognize the treatable and the benign. Awareness of the clinical features allows a more rational approach with the knowledge we currently have. Although evidence-based therapies are few in migraine, the encouragement to identify and subsequently avoid precipitants, in addition to the use of anecdotally supported medications, allows us to help most children and adolescents with migraine.