Periventricular leukomalacia

Periventricular leukomalacia (PVL) is a brain injury disorder characterized by the death of the white matter of the brain due to softening of the brain tissue. It can affect fetuses or newborns, and premature babies are at the greatest risk of the disorder. PVL is caused by a lack of oxygen or blood flow to the area around the ventricles of the brain, which results in the death of brain tissue. Although babies with PVL generally have no apparent signs or symptoms of the disorder at delivery, they are at risk for motor disorders, cerebral palsy, delayed mental development, coordination problems, and vision and hearing impairments.^[1]There is no cure for PVL. Treatment is generally supportive. Prognosis is dependent on the extent of damage to the ventricles.^[2]

Migraines or headaches are not specifically described as a feature of periventricular leukomalacia (PVL). After an extensive search of the information resources available to us, we have been able to locate two case reports of headaches in individuals with PVL. Two different studies of children with recurrent headaches each reported one individual with PVL diagnosed after brain imaging.^[3][4]  It is difficult to determine if headaches can be caused by PVL because there are few reported cases. It is important to keep in mind that although there are often symptoms that are documented in case reports, they are based on the specific individuals that are studied and may differ from one affected person to another.