A magnetization transfer imaging study of the brain in patients with migraine.

The authors evaluated the magnetization transfer ratio (MTR) of T2 lesions, normal-appearing white matter (NAWM), and brain from 39 migraineurs, 17 healthy volunteers, and 22 patients with MS. Migraineurs had NAWM and brain MTR values similar to those of normal subjects but significantly higher than those of MS patients. Average lesion MTR values also were significantly lower in MS patients than in migraineurs. In patients with migraine, other etiologies should be considered in the presence of tissue damage beyond that seen on T2-weighted scans.