skip to main content

Migraine with Brainstem Aura — SCE Neurology MCQ

Instant feedback + full explanation. One question, done properly.

HardHeadache & Facial PainMigraine with Brainstem AuraSCE Neurology

A 30-year-old woman presents with episodic attacks of migraine with visual aura, followed by dysarthria, vertigo, tinnitus, bilateral paraesthesiae, and decreased level of consciousness. Each episode lasts several hours. MRI brain is normal interictally. What type of migraine is this?

Educational content. Not a substitute for clinical judgement or local policy.

Reveal the answer and explanation

Correct answer: D — Migraine with brainstem aura (previously basilar-type migraine)

The best answer is “Migraine with brainstem aura (previously basilar-type migraine)”. Primary headache diagnosis follows attack phenotype and absence of secondary red flags; acute and preventive treatment is selected by headache type, frequency, disability and contraindications. The alternatives “Migraine without aura, after specialist assessment”, “Migraine with typical aura, when the phenotype supports it”, “Hemiplegic migraine, within the relevant UK pathway”, “Retinal migraine, after excluding important mimics” are clinically adjacent possibilities, but they do not match the defining chronology, localisation, physiology, investigation result or UK management sequence in this stem.

Reference: NICE CG150 headache recommendations: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg150/chapter/Recommendations