Ophthalmoplegic migraine: amelioration by Flufenamic acid, a prostaglandin inhibitor.

It was recently suggested that prostaglandins' release (especially PGE1 and PGF2alpha) play a key role in the development of the migrainous attack. Based on this hypothesis a therapeutic trial with flufenamic acid (a prostaglandin inhibitor of the fenamates group) was conducted during 1 year in 5 patients suffering from recurrent ophthalmoplegic migraine. We treated 25 migrainous attacks; in 22 of them the patients reported marked alleviation of the headaches and only in two occasions a partial third nerve palsy accompanied the attack.