Introduction: The possible link between vertigo and migraine has been known for a long time as well as its association with Ménière's disease.
Objective: To determine the lifetime prevalence of migraine in EM patients and to compare it with the prevalence of migraine in general population according to the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria.
Methods: We interviewed 65 EM patients. Our results have been compared with a sex- and age-matched control group with no otological antecedent.
Results: The lifetime prevalence of migraine was significantly higher in Ménière group compared to the age- and sex-matched control group (35.4% versus 15.4%, p < or = 0.05). Nine patients with EM and migraine related an evident relationship between their vertigo episodes and the migraine.
Conclusions: The results obtained in our study suggest the possibility of common pathophysiological mechanisms to both pathologies and it may lead to new therapeutic options for treatment of EM and migraine patients.