Treatment of juvenile migraine with subcutaneous sumatriptan.

An open, prospective study was undertaken to assess the efficacy and safety of subcutaneous sumatriptan in 17 children, ages 6 to 16 years, with severe, recurrent migraine. A 6-mg dose was used in 15 patients and relieved headache within 1 hour in six and by 2 hours in five others. Two smaller children received a 3-mg dose and both were headache-free within 2 hours. Most also reported marked improvement in associated symptoms such as nausea and photophobia. Four subjects had no clinical improvement after a 6-mg dose. Side effects, such as neck pressure, were brief and mild. These findings suggest that subcutaneous sumatriptan can be both effective and safe as an abortive agent in juvenile migraine, but the appropriate dose in smaller children will need further investigation.